


Prisoner

by TheHarperGrey



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Drama, Eventual Romance, F/M, Heavy Angst, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-12 16:48:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 49,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29887569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheHarperGrey/pseuds/TheHarperGrey
Summary: My twist on 1x21 when Regina imprisons David...
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Prince Charming | David Nolan
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

_"By using him to bring an end Snow White..."_

David leaned his head against the cold stone of the dungeon wall, exhaling a deep breath of the dank, musty air. The scene of his almost execution played over and over in his mind, the sweet relief of the water hitting his neck instead of the blade. He'd heard her voice behind him before he saw her, his neck still restricted by the crude execution block he was pinned in.

She'd marched up to King George more bravely than any other male rulers in the surrounding kingdoms would have. Her shoulders were squared with pride, covered by a perfectly tailored deep red tailcoat that trailed behind her, legs clad in tight, black leather. Her hair was styled dramatically, her makeup fierce, lips painted a burnt red. She looked as vicious and dangerous as everyone described her, maybe even more so in the flesh.

He'd almost been hopeful, thinking maybe Snow had found a way to barter with the Queen, that maybe she was seeking him due to some deal the two of them made. It turned out to be a foolish thought, fueled by the adrenaline pumping in his veins at his near death experience. She'd instead spat out her plans to use him to kill his beloved to George, which seemed to please the malevolent old bastard and greed. Her guards had practically dragged him to a separate coach, shoving him in it with the shackles still on and took him to the Queen's kingdom.

Now he found himself in the cold confines of the crude dungeon, waiting to find out what his fate would turn out to be. He lifted his head from his thoughts at the sound of footsteps and metal clanging, the Queen appearing in his line of vision followed by two dutiful guards. She wore a fitted dark dress, the neckline plunging dangerously low and showing most of her cleavage, her waist unbelievably narrow.

His chest tightened with hatred at the sight of the vile woman and he tried to ignore the way his breath caught when she appeared. She was as equally intimidating as she was alluring; dark makeup winged up at the corner of her eyes, a feisty smile played on her painted lips. Her hair was cast into a daring up-do, unlike any of the styles he'd seen women wear.

"Leave us," She commanded her guards with a wave of her hand, sending them walking the way they'd just came. She gave him a cocky grin as she opened the cell door with a magical flick of her wrist, waltzing into his cage, eyes appraising him in a catlike manner.

He stood from where he was sitting, heavy metal shackles cutting into his wrists with the movement, "What do you want?"

"Hm," She gave a soft sound reminiscent of a moan as her gaze traveled over his shoulders, her brow raising gently. She reached out with her hand, pressing her fingertips to his chest in an attempt to run her hand over it, "I suppose I see the allure," She purred but he slapped her hand down, causing her brows to raise in surprise.

She seemed to not have expected him to stand up to her, but her lips almost curled in amusement instead of retaliating. It was as if she were a predatory cat, batting at a mouse, toying and teasing and enjoying his precious attempts at defying her. "I wonder if you'll be quite so incorruptible after your precious Snow is gone?"

"Whatever she did to you, leave her alone and take my life instead," David replied firmly, glaring down at the insufferable woman who only smiled coyly back at him. The great Evil Queen was actually quite petite for someone who was so feared. He knew she had to be wearing heels under that dress and she was still a good three or four inches shorter than him. Physically he could overtake her if she didn't have magic at her disposal.

"Oh, who said anything about taking her life?" The Queen's brows furrowed theatrically and she pursed her lips before they curved into sly smile once more, "Oh no, I have a far more satisfying brand of punishment for her," She showed her teeth in an almost manic grin, pearly whites behind deep burgundy lips.

Rage bubbled inside of him at how helpless he was and the injustice that the Queen was getting away with. She had been terrorizing his beloved since she was just a girl, all over what he could only assume was severe jealousy. The woman was wicked, soulless, had torn Snow's family apart and still wasn't satisfied. He wanted to kill her, to reach out and put his hands around her delicate neck and squeeze the breath from her. It would only be a few seconds before she turned him into ash or her guards would come to her defense, and he would be dead. That just wouldn't do if he was going to save his future wife from the hands of the woman in front of him. He had to survive long enough to get out of here.

The Evil Queen spun on her heels with a triumphant smile still gracing her lips, her arms moving, doing something in front of her that he couldn't see as she stepped out of his cell at a casual pace. Her arm came up beside her as she walked away, back still to him, a bright red apple in her hand. He knew instantly it was poison, it was what would put his beloved to sleep forever. Lunging forward to go after her was no use, the cell door slamming shut right before he stepped out and still she didn't even glance back at him. A giggle escaped from the monster who caged him, hips swaying and hand rotating the apple tauntingly on her way out.

* * *

"Is something wrong?" The Huntsman lifted his head from between her legs breathlessly, thick arms wrapped around her thighs. She let out a breath of frustration, back propped up halfway on pillows against her headboard in her bed chamber. She was entirely bare, legs splayed out in front of him as he gazed up at her with worried eyes.

"I'm distracted," She grit out, rolling her eyes at the relief that flickered upon his face with the knowledge that it wasn't him doing something wrong. He'd been working hard, doing everything that usually made her choke on words and cum in his mouth, but it just wasn't working tonight. There was too much on her mind, too much that needed to be planned.

"Is this about Snow and the Prince?" He asked and she felt the breath from his words on her wet slit, sending a shiver through her abdomen.

"Of course it is," She snapped at him, "Keep going," Her fingers threaded through his hair, pushing him back down to her and he groaned in response before covering her with his mouth again.

He began to lap her up in earnest, flicking his tongue over her nub as she closed her eyes and settled back into the pillows, "It has to be perfect when I finally get my revenge. I've waited so long for this," She half moaned, keeping a grip on his hair and concentrating on the sensations, the thought of her payback on Snow helping to arouse her.

"I'm sure it will, Your Majesty," He murmured against her clit before sucking down on it, gripping her thighs tightly when she whimpered and squirmed under his mouth, "Everything you do is to perfection," He added and she almost told him to shut up. It was pathetic the way the Huntsman had become infatuated with her since she'd took his heart for her collection. It hadn't even taken much seduction the first night she'd had him taken to her bed chambers.

She'd stripped down fully naked in front of him and slinked towards him and he'd been hard before she even touched his cock. He never resisted, instead responded quite fervently when she'd pushed him onto the bed and straddled him. His body was glorious, all lean muscle and strength and the energy of a man who was a bit younger than her. It was a refreshing change after lackluster sex life with the King and her string of dalliances with some of her better looking guards.

But now she could tell he was enamored with her for some odd reason and it was irritating the life out of her. She was as mean as she could be to him most of the time, was selfish during sex, only caring about her own orgasm, _hell_ she was even keeping him captive. Still, she saw it in his eyes when he watched her, heard the words he murmured when he fucked her. She usually allowed it because he had learned how to satisfy her quite well over time, but she'd have to put an end to him having his feelings involved soon.

"I have the apple, _ahh_ ," She gasped, hips squirming in his grip as she pulled at his hair when he flicked his tongue faster, "I have everything planned out to put her to sleep forever...but...I haven't decided what I want to do with her Prince once I'm done with him...enslave him? Or kill him?" She moaned and began curling her hips when Graham loosened his grip enough to let her add to the friction.

"You have me, you don't need another slave," Graham's eyes flicked up at her, keeping his mouth on her at his tongue worked harder on her bundle of nerves. There was a possessive tone to his voice at the idea of her taking the Prince as another slave and she almost pitied him. Here he was, not only content with being owned by her but becoming jealous at the mere mention of another man potentially taking his place.

"You do know what I like," She moaned and bit down on her bottom lip, grinding her dripping sex over his mouth and chin and nose, writhing now, "Fuck, I'm going to come, keeping going like that," She hissed before crying out when her orgasm exploded in her abdomen, causing her eyes to squeeze shut so tightly she saw light and her back to arch from the bed. Her hips jerked in his grip as he lapped at her with his tongue flattened and running over her entire sex, waves of pleasure rippling through her thighs and legs when her body finally relaxed against the bed once more.

"May I have you now, Your Majesty?" Graham was breathing heavily as he crawled back up over her body, hands pressing against the bed on each side of her. His expression practically begged her when she opened her heavy lidded eyes, glancing down between them to see his cock hard and ready for her. She moaned at the sight of his body, spread her legs wider underneath him.

"You may fuck me, Huntsman," She raised an eyebrow, watching him swallow hard and grip himself, rubbing the tip of his penis against her slick folds. Typically she would make him be on the bottom but tonight she was tired and lazy and just wanted to cum with as little effort as possible. The thought of the Prince in her dungeon occupied her mind as the Huntsman pushed his throbbing member inside of her. Her captive had swatted her hand away, had looked at her with disgust at her advancement.

"Mmm," The Huntsman, groaned near her ear as he began to kiss at her neck, keeping himself propped on his hands as he began to pump in and out of her slowly. It was just what she needed after the rejection from the insufferable Prince who loved her idiot step-daughter to the point of ignorance. Men practically drooled over her, would gladly hand over their souls to sleep with her. Yet he slapped her away like she was a leper. She grunted, pushing her hips up against his and wrapping her legs around his waist tightly, avoiding the thought of the arrogant bastard downstairs for now.

"I didn't say make love," Her tone was sharp as she ran her hands up to his shoulder blades and dug her nails into his skin, "I said fuck me."

* * *

Regina grit her teeth together as she watched her step daughter and her loyal little minions take out multiple guards on their heroic journey towards the dungeons where the Prince was held. The image came through to her in the mirror of her dressing table where she sat gripping the handle of her hairbrush tightly. Who did this stupid girl think she was? Interrupting her nightly routine with this pathetic attempt at rescuing the lovesick puppy in the dungeon.

She sighed, watching them get closer to the dungeons and knowing she had to relocate Charming before his love got to him. With a flick of her wrist she transported him from the cell in the dungeons to one of the guest rooms on her wing of the castle, adding locks over the door and window for good measure. Summoning a view of his room in her vanity mirror she almost laughed at the bewildered look on his face when he landed in the chair of the room and had no clue how he got there.

The image of Snow finding Charming's cell empty appeared in her handheld mirror, causing her to pick it up swiftly and chuckle at the look of heartbreak on her step daughter's face. An idea sparked excitement inside of her and she instantly put it to good use, causing the image of Snow in the dungeons to appear on the mirror in the Prince's room and a mirror to appear in his old dungeon cell. They both gasped and ran towards the mirrors when they noticed each other, pressing their hands to the glass as Snow repeated _no no no._

"The Queen took me to her palace," The Prince said with a solemn expression as Snow searched the mirror for some way to him. Regina reveled in the desperate look on her step-daughter's cherub face.

"But I'm rescuing you..."

"..Snow..."

"Is this always going to be our life? Taking turns finding each other?"

"We'll be together, I know it. Have faith."

The look of absolute adoration and love they shared made Regina's stomach turn in disgust and jealousy. She shoved the longing for that down deep inside of her but the pesky emotion rose within her at the sight of the couple and she hated them even more for it. She'd had that once, she'd felt that kind of love before and knew how consuming it was. But it was taken from her and the idiot babbling in the mirror was the reason why.

Irritation rose within her, causing her to quickly lose her patience with herself for being so weak and soft to be moved by the image of an obnoxious couple. She channeled the anger towards them, putting on a good mask before connecting her mirror and the one in the dungeon, bringing her reflection face to face with Snow.

The expression on the young woman's face made her cackle, "I just had to stop you. I had no interest in cleaning tongue marks off my mirror."

"Let him go, your fight is with me."

"My thoughts exactly. Have you ever heard of a parlay? We break off all this messy fighting and have a little talk. Just you and me. Come unarmed."

The Princess had tears in her eyes as she swallowed hard, "Where?"

Regina felt a small thrill stir in her at the realization that she was about to get what she had been trying to for years, "Where it all began."

* * *

"What have you people done with Snow?" David hissed when a man unlocked his door and made his way in with a tray of food and pitcher of water. He was about as tall as himself, his shoulders not quite as wide as his own. If there weren't guards posted near his door, he would've considered trying to take the man down to get out. _If only it would be that easy._

"The Queen has gone to meet with her," He spoke with an accent, setting the tray of food down on the table with a plop, "She owes you no explanation." _Ah, so he was loyal to his Queen._ David sighed, knowing this man probably would not be bought or persuaded to go against her, mentally scratching another idea to get out of this mess off of his list.

"She's terrorized Snow White since she was just a girl and now has torn us apart, I think I deserve a fucking explanation," David growled, closing the distance between he and the man.

"Your Snow White is responsible for ruining the Queen's life," He simply said, holding his hands behind his back and narrowing his gaze at David as they came face to face. He didn't seem intimidated, the fool would probably give his life for the ruler they spoke of.

"Ruining her life? How is that possible?" David grit out, not understanding what Snow could have possibly done to a woman who had it all, "The Evil Queen had everything. Money, power, a good husband, a step-daughter who looked up to her and still loves her to this day, for some fucked up reason."

The man's eyes changed for a moment, as if they held truths that David himself knew nothing about. "There's much more to the story you have yet to know. Maybe the Queen will tell you someday."

"She'd better," David clenched his fists in irritation, "Evil bitch."

"I'd watch your mouth," The man's hand gripped David's shirt before he knew it, jerking him closer, "I do not take kindly to disrespect of my Queen."

"And I don't take kindly being roughed up by servants," He bit back, giving the man before him a hard shove backwards, enough to make him let go of his shirt. His jaw set as he caught his footing and stared back at David but ultimately did not retaliate, looking as if he'd mentally outweighed the outcome. "What does the Queen have planned for me after she puts the sleeping curse on Snow?"

"She hasn't decided yet," The younger man glared at him then, his eyes turning darker at his question, "I would say a lot of that will depend on her mood, so I would not cross her if I were you."

Charming watched as the man stared at him for a moment before turning to go out, hearing the lock slide on the outside of his door after he'd shut it. He glanced at the food, grimacing at the soup and dry bread that almost seemed worse than going hungry. He had to try to get out of here and find Snow before the Queen put the sleeping curse on her. Did she plan to do it today? He had no clue. He unclenched his fist and fell in the chair at the table, shoving the offensive dinner away from him.

The man's warning repeated in his ears. The Queen had still not yet decided what his fate would be; he may have a chance of surviving. If he could appease her and keep himself useful to her then maybe she'd allow him to live long enough that he could escape and save his beloved. He had to find out what made the Queen tick, what she wanted that she didn't have. By his own observation of the situation it seemed as if she were jealous of Snow; how the people loved her, the loyalty of her followers, and that she'd found true love.

Could the Queen feel any emotions at all? Was it possible that she is lonely and longing for what Snow has? Or is she so truly evil that she is simply doing all of this for the sheer satisfaction of ripping Snow's world apart? He would make it his mission to find out, to try to read the Evil Queen better the next time he spoke with her. Judging from their interaction in the basement, she seemed to find him sexually attractive. Maybe that was something that could keep him alive? Or perhaps it was simply having him as bait for her games would work at his advantage. Whichever it was, he was not going to just sit helplessly in his situation.


	2. Chapter 2

Regina's heart beat in her ears, adrenaline and elation rushing through her as she watched Snow White fall to the ground with a thud, the whole thing seeming to be in slow motion. The apple dropped from her hand as she landed, rolling across the meadow beyond Daniel's grave. Tears fell from her eyes as she looked down at her beloved's headstone, dropping to her knees with a laugh that was half a cry.

"You did not die in vain," She whispered, reaching out to touch her fingertips to the stone, "I have avenged your death. I miss you, my love."

Snow White's motionless body lay in her peripheral vision, but she tilted her head back and looked up at the cloudy sky, closing her eyes. It was over. She had won. The kingdom had paid for never accepting her, for preferring the Princess to her. Cora had paid for trying to control and manipulate her and use her power. Leopold had paid for taking her innocence, her dignity and her freedom. And finally, Snow White had paid for taking the love of her life.

A swift wind began to wail through the trees surrounding the open meadow, darker clouds rolling in behind the grey ones. She heard thunder in a distance, echoing the heartbeat in her chest. She wasn't sure if her emotions had caused this storm or if the universe had glorious timing, but she straightened back to a standing position and smiled at the sky as the lightning streaked across it. The rain came then, bringing a delicious chill to the air as it pelted down on her, on Daniel's grave, on Snow's forever slumbering form.

Images of Daniel's death flashed in her mind as the storm picked up and she held her arms open, kept her face tilted towards the sky. Cora's voice swarmed through her mind, like a thousand bees leaving their nest. Flashes of Leopold's angry face played like a broken reel behind her eyes; slaps, punches, pinning her down, invading her body, making her hate herself. Snow White's voice calling her 'mother' made her skin crawl. But the storm, the storm was pulling it all from her, lifting the weight from her shoulders.

She screamed then, a blood curdling scream full of pain and sorrow that she'd held in for so long. She let it out, let it echo over the fields as the storm raged in full force, blowing her hair and dress as she fell down onto her knees once more on Daniel's grave. Her time was here, she had fought so hard for this. Everyone who had taken something precious from her had paid. Justice had been served.

The pain she had held close to her heart oozed from her as she let it out into the atmosphere, for she no longer needed it. Revenge was going to make her happy, she could let her pain and anger go. Knowing that the people who had wronged her would no longer live on was her happy ending. That was all she needed, was all she had been working for.

* * *

David had been summoned later in the evening, the man who had threatened him not to disrespect the Queen had come to his chamber with two guards who drug him out. They told him the Queen had requested his presence in the dining hall and proceeded to escort him through the dark and cold palace. Her guards were monstrous looking creatures, heavy helmets covering the majority of their face, not to mention they were all huge...especially compared to the woman who ordered them around.

"Welcome," The Evil Queen's voice rang out as they pushed him through the giant doors of the dining hall, spotting the wicked woman at the head of her table alone. It was covered with food and bottles of wine, a couple of servants standing in the corners of the room, hidden in the shadows. "Come, sit, it's a celebration."

David glanced towards the younger man who had summoned him stay where he was as the guards pushed him over towards the table, pulling out one of the chairs and shoving him down into it. The Queen eyed him from head to toe with a smirk before taking a long gulp of her wine, "Shoo," She waved a hand towards the guards without looking at them, leaning back into her own throne like chair at the head of the table.

"You too, Huntsman," She looked up with a raised brow at the man who lingered near the other end of the table. David watched as the man frowned, watched his shoulders tense as he glanced between the two of them. The Huntsman's jaw clenched, eyes narrowing towards the Queen before he spun on his heel and left the room.

"Ignore him, he's a tad bit jealous," Regina smirked with a wag of her brows, setting her wine glass down, "Do you know why I brought you here, Prince Charming?"

"Not a clue," He let out a breath with a frown, not particularly enjoying her coy attitude, "Are you going to tell me or is this a game?"

"Someone is feisty," She purred, pulling at her bottom lip with her teeth in a way that made something inside of him stir. She was a beautiful creature, but her soul was dark and sickly, nothing like his pure Snow. "Have a drink, loosen up," She slid the wine decanter towards him with her magic.

David eyed her before reaching forward, pouring himself a healthy glass before leaning back in his chair and taking a long sip, "So, what is it?"

"Well, I didn't want to celebrate alone," She smiled brightly at him, "Should we have a cheers to my victory?" She tilted her wine goblet towards him.

He shifted in his chair, eyes darkening, "What did you do to Snow White?" He asked through gritted teeth.

"Oh, just tucked her in like a good step-mother would," She chuckled at her own joke, running a hand over the long ponytail that fell over one shoulder of the blue velvet dress that clung to her body, "...for eternity."

"How?" David swallowed hard, biting down on his bottom lip with the knowledge that she'd already done what she'd planned for Snow.

"A sleeping curse, silly," She shrugged her shoulders in a playful manner, "One that can only be broken by true loves kiss. Which is a shame because, she's out there," She nodded towards the outside as she made pouty lips, "And you're in here."

"Snow and I always find our way back to each other," He replied firmly despite the roll of her eyes, steeling his emotions. He would not get upset in front of the Queen, for she was looking for a reaction from him. He would not give up hope either; all was not lost, his kiss could break his beloved's curse.

"Oh and good luck with that," She chuckled and her dark eyes settled on his wrist where he suddenly he felt white hot heat, his eyes flicking down as he grimaced and saw a dark purple ring of light seem to dissolve onto his skin, "You can't even leave this castle."

He glared at her, slamming his fist down that had been branded but she didn't flinch or move a muscle, "Do you think this is going to make you happy? You can torture us as much as you want but it won't fill that gaping hole in your heart. Nobody loves you and that hasn't changed."

Her eyes shot up at him with a brief hint of anger and he could tell he had struck a nerve with his statement, "Bite your tongue, Prisoner. Remember who you answer to now."

The Queen poured herself another goblet of wine, leaning back in her chair and eyeing him contemplatively, "Would you like to know your role, Prince Charming?"

"Go on," He grit out, watching her with narrowed eyes. She was a woman of power and he knew that if he did not play along with her game that she would dispose of him. As long as he did what he could to appease her he could eventually find his chance to escape her.

"You spent plenty of time on your Daddy's council," She rose slowly, sitting her goblet down as she made her way around the edge of the table, hips swaying in a catlike manner, "I trust you've dealt with Midas and the other leaders, helped your father make deals with them and that sort of thing? Am I right, Prisoner?" She was behind him now, her fingertips sliding over his shoulders slowly.

"What of it?" He smelled her perfume, an intoxicating blend of spice and apple, a hint of something he couldn't place. His fist tightened on his pants leg, feeling one of her fingers trace up the side of his neck.

"You will help me defeat their armies," Her voice was near his ear now, her hair tickling the back of his neck. "I want to know the deals you've made with them, strategies you've discussed, their financial states, their strengths and weaknesses. No one shares much with a female leader, you know? The men tend to stick together," She smirked as she watched him sitting tensely, staring straight ahead.

"And after this you'll let me go?" He turned his head to look back at her, his breath hitching at how close he was to her chest as she stood behind to the side.

She let out a laugh, cold fingers coming up to cup his square chin, "Oh you sweet, naïve Prince. No, I won't let you go after that. You'll serve me for years to come because, well...the alternative is death. Your choice."

David jerked his chin from her grasp defiantly, not missing the mischievous smirk on her lips, "I'll serve you." He answered, only because he had to start earning her trust, gaining her loyalty. The transition couldn't happen over night, she was anything but stupid.

"That's what I like to hear," She practically purred, "If you're a good boy you'll share my meals and more, if you'd like..." She chuckled, "Isn't it poetic?"

"How so?" David rolled his eyes, turning his back to her again and he faced the opposite direction, picking up his wine glass and chugging it.

He practically felt her stiffen behind him at his question, a pregnant pause heavy in the air, "That's enough for this evening," She concluded, "Have what you'd like," He saw her motion towards the table in his peripheral vision before he heard her heels clicking on the way towards the doors to the hall.

There was something he didn't know about this entire situation. Snow has told him of their troubled relationship, how the Evil Queen had been responsible for her father's death. He always assumed it was because she was in fact evil, it wasn't hard to believe after meeting her face to face. Though something in the way her mood shifted told him there was more to the story.

Not to mention the Huntsman had eluded to their being much that he did not know. Maybe if he found out he'd know her weakness, would be able to use it to gain her trust and loyalty and find his way out of this hellhole. Back to his Snow and his life.

* * *

Regina watched the Prince as he leaned over the map in her council room, making marks on the large map she'd procured with magic. It had been a couple of months since he'd been here and she had to say he was settling in quite nicely. He opted to take his meals in his room, hadn't caused any problems or tried to escape, and was helping her gain quite an edge on her rivaling kingdoms.

They argued of course when they didn't agree on military plans or courses of action, but other than when working together he stayed out of her hair for the most part. He was performing his duties as he said he would, thought it was frustrating her how difficult he was turning out to be to seduce. She'd hinted multiple times, had even been handsy during certain moments and creative with her wording.

He'd remained unfazed by her advances and even though she had magic, she wasn't one to force someone into bed with her. Leopold had showed her what that felt like and even the Evil Queen drew a line somewhere; she'd never do that to another human being. Plus, seducing someone on their own free will was more satisfying. Putting Snow to sleep had turned out not to be enough, but she thought, just maybe, if she could bed Snow's one true love then she'd finally get the contentment she was looking for.

He'd been fitted for a wardrobe more suited for her castle, a black leather vest on his chest and steel armor decorating his wide shoulders. She certainly saw the appeal now as he stood in concentration, his hair an inch or two longer on top and coiffed to in a masculine manner. His frame was much bigger than hers, making her stomach flutter at the thought of him throwing her against a wall or pinning her to the bed. Her eyes wandered down his chest to his waist, wondering what kind of equipment a man of his size dealt with.

David caught her then, clearing his throat as he straightened and got her attention, "Come here, I'll show you the passage way George plans to use for his army should battle arise."

She smirked at his knowing look, pushing herself off of the wall she was leaning on and making her way over to him at the table, "My, you may be useful after all," Her fingers grazed over his lower back as she rounded him, stepping in between he and the table.

"You think so, Your Majesty?" He replied and she swore she heard an almost playful tone to his deep voice. She pressed her hands on the map then, smirking to herself as she leaned over the table, bending at the waist just enough to push her bottom back towards him.

"Mhm," She bit her lip mischievously when her bottom pressed against his front just slightly and he did not move. Deciding to take it one step further she ran a hand over his that was still splayed on the map, "This passageway, where does it lead?" She took his finger under her own, tracing the map.

His chest was brought closer, brushing against her back when she moved his hand up the map and his heart started to beat harder in his chest. That scent that was all hers polluted his senses, the round curve of her bottom brushing against his dick. It would be easy to give her what she wanted; what he knew she wanted after two months of advances.

"To the rock enclave on the south quarter," His voice was low in her ear and she could tell by the pause in his response that his mind had wandered elsewhere.

"And this one?" Regina slid their hands down the center of the map slowly, reaching the bottom edge of it near where she stood. David knew where this was leading, knew he should cut it short. But what if this was all she wanted? What if this was the way he'd earn her trust?

"That one...that leads towards the forest to Midas' kingdom," His voice was gruffer now, giving himself away as she brought his hand closer and closer to the edge. He swallowed hard when she lifted it from the table and pressed it against her flat abdomen.

"And this one?" Her own voice was a few octaves lower, reveling in the fact he hadn't denied her yet as she pushed his flattened hand down over her pelvis, "Where do you think it leads?" A smirk graced her lips that were parted in heavier breaths as she pushed his hand down to the vee of her legs.

He didn't respond, not vocally, but she felt his physical response stirring against her bottom. His breath was heavy near her neck as he pressed his fingers against the velvet fabric, applying pressure against her sex and eliciting a soft moan from her. In that moment she knew he was attracted to her, even if he didn't want to be. It was only a matter of time until he gave into that.

"I won't play into your game," He growled suddenly and jerked his hand away, stepping back from her and putting a couple of feet between them, "I don't want you."

"Really?" She spun around, brow raised as she glanced down towards the tent in his pants, "Something tells me otherwise."

David glared at her before turning and storming out of the council room, heading for his chambers. _She was right, fucking hell, she was right_. He hated himself for it, too, for his reaction to her. On more than one occasion he'd considered how easy it would be to give into her and earn her trust by satisfying her sexually.

Would it be considered being unfaithful if he did what he had to in order to find a way out? If he bedded the Queen in order to get closer to her, to earn her trust enough for a moment to escape? No, it wouldn't. Not if he wouldn't enjoy it, not if he didn't want to. _Therein lied the problem._

He'd seen too much of her lately. Not that he'd gotten close, but he'd observed enough to know that the Evil Queen was a façade that hid a very broken woman. She was smart, he saw her brilliant mind in the way she strategized military plans and talked of her kingdom's finances. She was sexy, unbelievably so, always put together and smelling so goddamn good. And she was mysterious; there were so many layers to her that he hadn't even scratched the surface.

No, sleeping with the enemy for his freedom wouldn't be unforgivable...if he were doing it for that reason alone.


	3. Chapter 3

David made his way down the corridor, deciding this evening he would dine with the Queen. They'd been making progress at getting along with each other and he thought he'd earned a good amount of her trust. He was trying to convince her he could be trusted, was trying to get as much freedom as he could to help in his escape.

He observed her daily routines the best he could; the more he knew about her, the better his chances of getting out of here were. Every morning he watched from the window of his tower as she walked out into the courtyard, near an apple tree and stood for a moment. Then she'd make her way out into the field further, nearing a large tree where she'd kneel. It almost seemed like she was talking to someone or something, but then she'd be up, walking back into the castle and visibly putting her Evil Queen mask back on.

She was a mystery to him, in fact he'd never met anyone who was so intriguing and confusing at the same time. He saw the way she snapped at her guards and berated them, but he also noticed the way they were all fed and housed, provided ale and were allowed to be men. The maids were terrified of her, but he heard Regina call for the doctor for one of them that was in the family way. People in the kingdom hated her and spoke of what a monster she was, but he witnessed how hard she worked to keep their economy stable.

Snow had told him once that the Queen wasn't always like this, that she'd once been very sweet and kind to her, had even saved her life once. He was curious as to what happened. What could possibly turn her into what she was now? She destroyed entire villages for their loyalty to the princess. She took people's hearts and crushed them in front of their loved ones. The Queen was, by all definitions, a monster.

He shook his head, deciding it best not to delve too deep into all of that just yet as he neared the dining quarters. Her voice came to him before he reached the doors, hearing the clipped tone of annoyance as what sounded like the Huntsman spoke to her in an elevated tone. David stepped up to the corner, pressing himself against it and tilting an ear towards the room once he was hidden from sight.

"He's in love with Snow White," The Huntsman growled and David raised a brow. _They were arguing over him._ "He will never want you. Not the way I do."

 _Oh, so his suspicions were correct._ The Huntsman was in love with the Queen. "I am not having this conversation with you, Graham," Her tone was annoyed and David could tell she was speaking through gritted teeth; something she did when she was about to snap, something that made his groin tighten when she did it.

"Allow me to come to your chambers tonight, then."

Her answer was curt, "No."

"And why not?!" His accent grew thicker with his frustration.

"Must I remind you that I am your master?!" She raised her voice then, "You are my pet. Your role is to do what I wish you to and tonight, I do not wish for your presence!"

"I know this is about the Prince!"

"He's a shepherd," She spat back with so much disdain it almost made David chuckle. _She was an uppity bitch._

"You're unhappy because cursing Snow White didn't bring you the contentment you though it would and now you think that bedding the Prince will." _Oh, so that's why she wanted him._ She'd been blatantly coming onto him since he'd been there but he hasn't truly known why. Beauty aside, she was the Queen and she could have whomever she desired. Plus, he'd heard the sounds that came from her bedchamber after The Huntsman snuck in at night, enough to know she wasn't lacking for it.

"Bite your tongue," She hissed a warning at the man who must've struck a nerve, but it wasn't enough to make him stop.

"No! I won't do it," He was angry and for a moment David feared the next sound he'd hear would be the mans neck breaking. "You suffered years of the King fawning over his daughter while he ignored you, while he treated you like his whore, because he didn't love you in the way he loved Ava and Snow. And now you're setting your sights to bed a man who will only do the same. Why must you do this to yourself?!"

"That will be enough!" She bellowed now, her voice loud and her tone cutting. He heard a chair slide back from the table and heard, heard heels clicking on stone and then the sound of the Huntsman gasping for air, "If you ever breathe a word of my past again I will snap your neck," She was still shouting then, Graham wheezing for air, giving David the visual that he was being choked. He heard the sound of a body hitting the ground after a few seconds, heels clicking across the floor again and _oh shit they were coming towards the hall._

David took a few steps back, pretending to just be coming down the hall when the doors to the dining quarters flew open and the Queen stormed out. The expression she wore knocked the breath out of him, never having seen anything look so beautifully broken before. Her usually steeled eyes were full of pain, brows furrowed slightly and she clutched her stomach as if she felt sick. A tear glistened as it ran down her cheek and he knew as soon as his presence was known he was going to get her wrath for seeing her in such a vulnerable moment.

She didn't seem to hear him or see him as she stormed around the corner and he opened his mouth to start to say something but she plowed into him before he could. Her head snapped up, mouth open on shock before her eyes drew down angrily, "Out of my way!" She nearly screamed, lip snarling in a manner that made him notice the scar on it.

He stepped to the side quickly with a frown, "My apologies," He mumbled as he heard her frustrated breath before she continued on, heels clicking and long pony tail bouncing with her angry steps.

David shook his head and continued into the dining quarters, spotting the Huntsman standing and rubbing his neck. The man's eyes squinted in anger at his presence and David squares his shoulders for a fight when the man started towards him.

"If you hurt her," The Huntsman began as he closed the space between them, hands hitting David's chest to shove him back against the wall. Anger ran through him and he started to defend himself but the Huntsman's brief contact with his chest had him seeing flashes of images for a split second. "If you hurt the Queen I will kill you myself."

David scoffed, back against the wall as he returned a firm expression to the younger man, "With all due respect, you can't hurt a monster."

He thought the man was preparing to hit him or choke him, saw the rage in his expression. David began to put his arms up to shove him back but Graham was faster, lunging at him with almost inhuman speed and pressing his hands against his chest. White hot pain seared him at first, made him see bright lights as it rushed through his body and he groaned out in pain.

Then an aching began, a deep, sickening ache bubbled deep within him as a series of moments seemed to flash in his mind, watching them play out as The Huntsman transmitted them to him and David was physically frozen in place, unable to do anything but experience it.

_A stable. A young man, a distressed younger woman. It was the Queen, without layers of black clothing and heavy makeup. It was a younger, doe eyed version. An older woman's menacing smile came next and the image of a heart being crushed and oh, the Queen screamed and he felt the pain, physically, causing him to cough as it knocked the air out of his lungs. The young man was dead, the young Queen clutching him and David felt every bit of the grief._

_The next memory flashed to a wedding and he saw the Queen looking the picture of innocence and beauty but then it showed her groom and he was smiling at her, exchanging vows with a sickening glint in his eye. David felt the Queen's awareness of it, felt the fear and the helplessness at the raking gaze of the older man. He felt the betrayal in her heart when Snow's bright smile shone from her position in the wedding party, though he didn't understand why the Queen's anger was directed at her._

_Time fast forwarded to the wedding night and David could no longer feel his legs below him at the sight, his stomach turned, rolling inside of him at the cries of the young woman. The girl. He slid down the wall of the dining quarters, eyes clamped shut and a hand pressed to his gut that threatened to spill itself. She was begging the much older man to stop, whimpering in pain below the crushing weight of the King and David felt the suffocating feeling in his chest._

"Make it stop," He managed to get out through labored breath but the Huntsman had only crouched down, keeping his hands pressed to David's chest.

_The next scene was ushered in by the cry of an infant and he saw the sweet, slightly rounder face of the young Queen with sweat on her brow. He felt the love that rushed through her, the hope that sprouted in her chest as she held the tiny babe in her arms in her bed chamber, heard her whisper that she'd call him Daniel. And then he felt the cold set in and suddenly he felt his heart shatter in his chest, a sob escaping him. The child was gone._

_Flashes of moments assaulted him after, memories of years worth of grief and despair. Tiny glimpses of the way Snow White's father doted on her while Regina watched from afar. He felt the anger, the bitter resentment, the jealousy. He felt the helpless heartbreak as he watched the Queen kneeling under the large tree in the courtyard and talk to what he now knew was a tiny grave. An eternal home for a little boy named Daniel._

He gasped for air when the Huntsman took his hands off of him and stumbled back on his haunches, the exchange clearly taking much out of him, sweat on his brow and chest heaving. David's heart beat in his ears as he slouched against the dining room wall, staring back at the younger man with an understanding gaze.

"Don't hurt her," The man reiterated through gritted teeth as he stood from the ground, giving him one last warning glare before walking out of the room, leaving David with a dizzy head and a rapid heartbeat.

* * *

Regina paced her bedroom, anger and confusion and sadness swirling within her. Graham was right, David would never look at her the way he did Snow. No one ever would. She had never been enough for anyone, not even her own mother.

If she had a gold coin for every time Cora said she could be so much more than what she was, she'd practically be Midas. At first she thought it was just because her mother was cruel, but as the years when by she began to realize it was true.

In addition to being a constant disappointment in her mother's eyes, her father hadn't loved her enough to stand up to her mother. She hadn't been enough to fight for, he hadn't even spoken up when her mother promised her to a man his age.

Leopold, _oh how he'd shown her her own worth_. She'd tried to please him, had been so lonely that she tried to make herself love him, or at least have a friend in him. But he only noticed her when he wanted between her legs and even then he'd grunt his wife's name down her ear while she laid silently in pain. She'd quickly learned not to display her distaste for him bedding her, she still had the scar on her lip as a reminder. No matter what she did, she was never enough for him to move on from his late wife.

There had been plenty of reminders over the years that she would never be good enough for anyone. The kingdom adored Snow and Leopold, but never found a place in their hearts for her, for she wasn't their beloved Ava. She would never be worthy of the crown in their eyes.

Her own body had even betrayed her, for she hadn't been able to make her sweet little baby boy healthy enough to survive his first few days of life. Oh how she'd tried, forcing herself to eat for his sake, appeasing the King so he wouldn't be too rough on her and hurt the child. She'd tried so hard to protect her last little piece of her fiancé that grew in her womb, but she hadn't been enough. Enough of a woman, enough of a mother.

Regina felt like screaming as she stood in the mirror, taking in her appearance. She was made up exquisitely, but her reflection was still vile. _Never_ _enough_. Not even tempting enough to seduce that goddamn dim witted shepherd. Why was she even trying anymore?

She would never be happy. Villains didn't get happy endings. The thought made her chuckle bitterly at the irony. In her desperate attempt to find happiness and contentment through revenge, she'd turned herself into a villain. The very thing that historically speaking, could never truly be content.

And now, now that she'd put the object of her misdirected anger to sleep for life, she still felt no relief from her inner turmoil. Putting Snow under a curse was supposed to be the final piece of her revenge and it was supposed to set her free from the anger and heartbreak. But it hadn't, and she'd turned herself into a wicked monster in the process. Lonelier and more miserable than ever.

She ripped off the leather jacket she wore, slinging it on the floor near her mirror. Her fingers tore at the corset laces, snapping them with a touch of her magic fingers and sucking in a much needed breath when it fell to the floor. A flick of her wrist took the rest of her clothing off when she grew too impatient to get the Evil Queen costume off of her.

Anger bubbled within her when tears came to her eyes. _Weakness_. She was weak. Even without love in her life, she was a pitifully weak creature. Her tearful gaze studied her own body in the reflection and her stomach rolled. No wonder she wasn't able to seduce anyone, she was disgusting.

She used to cut back on her eating when Cora would criticize her figure and she didn't even have to try to eat less during her marriage to Leopold. If depression didn't suck away her appetite, he had. And now her turmoil refused to let her eat much, so she usually survived on wine and snacks. But now she knew she'd let it go too far, she was all ribs, collarbone showing, cheekbones severe. Her outward appearance was starting to reveal just how sickly and diseased she felt on the inside.

She crumbled to the floor in front of the mirror, hands against the cold stone as she let out a sob. Would she ever feel anything other than this anger? The weight on her shoulders was becoming too much to bear each moment her heart continued to beat. _Heart_ , if you could call it that. The last time she'd seen it it was nearly all black and cold, so cold to the touch.

All she wanted was to be distracted from the pain in her chest, the anger in her mind, the sadness in her soul. She'd used to do it with drinking, but that quickly became more of a depressant that she didn't need. Then she'd been able to do it with sex, once she'd finally come to know her body and realize there was blinding pleasure to be had in the act.

With Daniel it had been fumbling hands and shaking breaths and over much too soon for her to feel much, but it has been perfect. It was the one and only time they'd made love, hurriedly in the stall of the stables when she'd been upset over the King's proposal. It had hurt a little at first but he was gentle and she loved him so that just being one with him was enough. Not to mention that was the night they conceived their sweet boy.

Another sob wracked her thin frame, making her shoulders shake and her throat constrict. Distraction, she needed distraction. Graham used to be one but now they couldn't be together without him gazing at her with love in his eyes, love that made her sick. Sick that he had feelings for her when she'd made him a slave. It made her pity him and ashamed of herself. What kind of a woman had to enslave a man for him to fuck her? For him to fall for her? Was it of his own accord or was it the mind games she'd played with him? Of course it was the games, she wasn't lovable.

Desperation plagued her. To feel something. Anything but the sour emotions tumbling inside of her. To feel wanted. To feel contact with another human being. To feel connected with life again. Distraction; she needed distraction.

* * *

David sighed in his sleep, rolling onto his back in the large bed and feeling the sudden change of temperature in the room. It was cool on his bare chest as he slept naked, covers pulled up at his waist. His eyes opened for a moment at the slight glimpse of light in the cracking of the door caught his attention and then it was shut again.

When his eyes adjusted he saw her, walking barefoot toward his bed. She was in a thin robe, moonlight hitting her skin and making it glow. The front of the robe was open just slightly and he saw the swell of her breasts, taut stomach and the vee of her legs. His gaze traveled up to her face and he saw her eyes were puffy and she was devoid of any makeup, but still breathtaking.

He didn't speak, couldn't speak for fear of ruining the moment. It's was usually biting remarks and angry tension when they were in the same room but she was acting different tonight and he was too curious to question it. He just watched her, observed the beautifully broken creature come to the side of his bed, hand finding the edge of the covers. She glanced at his eyes almost questioningly, as if to ask permission. He swallowed at the lump in his throat, eyes traveling her body once before looking back up at her knowingly. He couldn't resist her.

She attempted a smirk then but it was a poor excuse for one, for her eyes never changed from their sullen demeanor. Her hand held the covers up as she crawled into bed, pulling them over the both of them as she slipped on top of him. His breath quickened when he felt her robe open, allowing her bare skin to press against his. She was light as a feather, hard nipples grazing his own chest and the heat of her sex resting over his own.

"Don't speak," She warned and it was the only thing she said before she leaned in, starting to place nips and kisses over his neck and chest. He groaned then and almost felt guilty, but she knew what she was doing. And this was the plan after all, wasn't it? Get close enough to her to manage his escape from here.

She began to rock her hips on his, her hands pressed to the mattress on either side of him as she raised her torso halfway. He felt the lips of her sex drag across the base of his member and it made him stir to life. His hands ran up Her thighs, up her waist that was shockingly thin. She was typically covered in so many layers of black and wearing tall heels that one would never know how petite she actually was, like he knew how.

Her eyes avoided his gaze and she troubled her bottom lip, sighing softly as she kept grinding her sex against his cock, mumbling to herself when she felt him growing harder and harder. When her eyes closed he reached up to her shoulders, pushing the silly robe over them and she let it fall down her arms. Perky breasts came into view and his hands found them, fondling them, thumbing her nipples and earning a higher pitched sigh of approval.

He should be feeling more hesitant than he is at this point, he knows it. His heart belongs to Snow White and he is a man of honor. His body should not be responding so fervently to the dangerous woman on top of him, but it is. His cock is aching to be inside of her, his mouth aching to kiss her, his arms aching to hold her afterwards and try to take some of that pain away that the Huntsman showed she carried.

"Do you want me, Prince?" He heard her ask and he flicked his gaze up to hers. Her brow was furrowed, eyes contemplative as she reached down between her legs and began to stroke herself, making his cock press against her ass more firmly with arousal.

He glanced down to watch her delicate fingers rubbing her clit and he had to suppress a groan. His eyes traveled back up to her and she still stared at him questioningly, waiting for his response. David swallowed the knot in his throat, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down once but no sound coming out. His hands ran around to her ass and he gripped the flesh there, squeezing it as he nodded up at her.

"Mm," Her eyes fluttered closed briefly when he responded, stroking herself a little faster before she slipped the hand underneath her further to grip him. David groaned when her fingers wrapped around his erection and she let out a breathy noise, "Impressive," She mumbled, head turned down to look at him in her hand as she lifted her hips just slightly.

He groaned from deep in his chest when she stared to stroke his tip against her slit, feeling the hot wet heat coming from her, "So wet..." he hissed and licked his lips, hands grabbing her ass more firmly as he waited impatiently for her to sheath him.

"I thought I said no talking?" She muttered, rubbing the tip of his penis against her clit more firmly before pushing it back her slit and sitting down on him, taking him to the root, ripping groans from both of them. She was hot and soaking wet and tight, _God was she tight._

His eyes fluttered closed but he forcefully opened them, not wanting to miss watching her. Her own eyes were shut, nails digging into his chest and he could tell she was letting herself adjust to his size so he sat still. He caressed her ass with one hand, the other coming up to cup one of her breasts, rolling and tweaking her nipple with his fingers.

She seemed to lose herself in the sensations and he could tell she was using him for a distraction to whatever was going on in her head. Her eyes stayed closed as if she was pretending it wasn't him, her hands pressing against his chest and her nails digging just a little to let him know who was in control. His mouth was agape when she rocked her hips forward, moving on his throbbing cock.

He kept himself buried to the hilt inside of her, watched her roll her hips forward in a continuous motion. He groaned, both hands finding her hips as he helped her, met her rhythm with the own movement of his hips and she let out a gasp of appreciation.

" _Feel_ so _good_ ," She mumbled breathlessly, hips rocking with more purpose as her brow furrowed and he watched her focus on her pleasure. A slight sheen of sweat started to sparkle on her chest, breasts bouncing when she began to ride him harder.

"Yes," He beckoned with a growl and she didn't chastise him for talking, probably didn't even hear it. Her stomach tensed with every moment, arms flexing and pushing her breasts together. Whimpers that made him throb started to escape from her throat, beckoning him to move her hips harder on his cock, knowing she was beginning to get frustrated in her pursuit to cum.

David decided then to take a chance, flipping them both over as he came on top and her eyes snapped open to look up at him. He stared back but she didn't speak, instead returned a heated gaze and ran her hands up his back, legs bending against his sides and opening herself up more for him. He groaned, gripping the headboard with one hand as the other pressed against her lower back.

"That's it, fuck me," She growled and let her head fall back when he began to rut himself inside of her, hitting her harder and more aggressively. Cries started to form in her throat, strangled and needy, spurning him to go faster. "Deeper," She commanded as she kept her knee drawn tight to his sides, hands sliding down his back and gripping his ass, forcing him inside her further.

"Fuck!" He hissed down her ear, breathing rapidly as he began to pound into her and she coked on cries. She was magnificent underneath him when he looked down, mouth open and brow furrowed. He could tell he'd found the right spot inside of her when she gasped loudly, eyes clamped shut and cries tumbling from her freely. She gripped his ass, jerking him into her and he gripped the metal of his headboard, nearly bending it with the force of his hand as he continued to hit that button inside of her that had her tensing around him.

"Yes! I'm gonna - _Oh_ , _god_!" A high pitched moan came from deep within her chest as he watched her come undone. Her face contorted beautifully, mouth opened as her back arched underneath him and _oh_ _god_ , she was coming hard, clenching on his cock and writhing and crying out as she milked him, her body nearly pushing him out of her with how slick and violently she clamped him. She panted and moaned as he thrusted through her orgasm and spilled himself deeply inside of her, feeling her hips twitch with sensitivity when he finally stilled.

His head fell to her shoulder as he tried to catch his breath and when he lifted it she was gazing back at him in the darkness.

"Off," Was all she said, though her order lacked any bite to it. He did as she said, rolling off of her, the chilly air hitting his sweaty chest and making his skin break out into goosebumps. She sat up, tugging at the robe that was halfway underneath him and slipping it on before silently sliding from the bed.

She didn't look at him as she rounded the corner of the bed, heading for the door while she held her robe closed. He longed to stop her, to reach out to her and tell her he understood why she was like this. But something told him she was in a very vulnerable space right now as she kept her gaze on his bedroom door when she crossed the room, and he knew that any reaching out to her right now would result in her running like a wild animal.

He should hate himself for enjoying it so much, for feeling so drawn to her. He should feel guilt for what he had just done, but instead he felt a strange pull. He wanted to help her, to heal her, the monster that contained him. It was all so confusing and she slipped out of his room without a word while he instantly missed her presence. Missed the presence of his captor, of the Evil Queen. But the glimpse of her life he'd gotten from the Huntsman told him that there was much more to this woman than her darkness, and he didn't understand why, but he knew he couldn't turn her away.


	4. Chapter 4

Regina knelt down beside the large, enchanted tree in her courtyard, "Good morning, my love," She whispered and smiled, "Happy birthday."

Her baby boy would've been ten years old today and she ached at the thought of who he would've become. Would he have looked like she or Daniel? A combination of both of them? Would he be more quiet like her fiancé had been or hot tempered like she was?

If only he'd been strong enough. He was so small when he came, a month or so early according to her calculations. She was sure it'd been from stress and grief that she'd went into labor. Not protecting her own baby was something she'd never forgive herself or her body for.

The thought of her child had kept her from ending her life when she was forced to marry the King. A piece of Daniel growing inside of her had sustained her, as heartbroken as she still was. It gave her a reason to suffer through her husband forcing himself on her and being unusually cruel to her. When the newness wore off and he realized she wasn't Ava and never would be, he had grown from indifferent to cold-hearted.

While he was always the image of a family man, and he actually was for Snow, he seemed to delight in terrorizing Regina. He berated her for the smallest of things, criticized her appearance, and laughed when she walked on egg shells around him, awkwardly tripping or clinking a tea glass on a saucer a little too loudly from shaky, nervous hands. It amused him how much he unnerved her and to this day his sneering face leering over her would wake her screaming, in a sweat and stomach rolling.

She hated him more than anyone, for the torment and pain he'd inflicted on her could never be undone. The only solace she found in becoming a monster herself is that she would never be as wicked as Leopold was. Even when she'd taken The Huntsman as a slave, she hadn't forced him into her bed. Her bed chamber, maybe, but he had made the decision to fuck her entirely on his own.

Being taken against her will still haunted her dreams at night, still forced her awake in tears, sick feeling in her gut. The most disgusting part was that at one point she'd actually tried to please the King, tried to appease him so he would be kinder to her. But she was not enough for him to move on from his wife, not enough for him to pull his attention from his daughter to even acknowledge Regina's presence when she entered a room.

Between Daniel's death, her rape, being confined by the King and her baby's death, she'd went mad. She was still mad, if she was being honest with herself. Her wounds ran deep, had turned her into a different person. Self loathing and grief had swallowed her whole, had made her susceptible to Rumple and the power he promised. She'd wanted more than anything to be strong enough that no one could hurt her again and he'd taken full advantage.

"I'm sorry, little one," She whispered, placing a handful of flowers next to the small headstone she'd had made after Leopold had died. When she'd realized she was pregnant she was much too far along to pass it off as his, so she'd hidden it. The night he found out he'd come to her for sex, pawing at her clothing and pulling open her robe. His ring snagged her top lip when he backhanded her upon seeing the swell of her belly, glaring at her in silent understanding that the child was not his.

He hadn't said anything further on the subject and they didn't acknowledge the child to each other. She lived in fear that he'd take his frustration out on her physically and cause her to miscarry, so she'd been considerably more submissive whenever around him. Swallowing her pride had protected her child for most of the pregnancy and she stayed relatively small, able to hide it from the rest of the castle.

She hadn't known if he would've let her keep the child, if he would've passed it off as his own to save face, but they'd never even reached that point. Daniel had passed just a few hours after he was born. The King had shown himself afterwards with a nearly smug expression as she clutched her lifeless infant to her chest in the middle of bloody bed sheets. He told her that her bastard had no place in the royal burial grounds and she hissed that she did not care, that she did not want her son to rest anywhere near the place he would someday. And she vowed to herself in that moment that she would put Leopold into the ground.

Regina bit her bottom lip sharply as a few tears spilled over her cheeks, "Are you having a good birthday with your father, my son?" She spoke to him with a broken smile, imagining her fiance and her son happy and healthy, living on without her in the afterlife. It wasn't something she was sure she believed in, otherwise she'd probably have joined them already, but on cold, dreary days such as these she sought comfort in the idea.

* * *

"Testing your boundaries, Prince?" The Huntsman startled David, coming up behind him on the first floor balcony of the west wing. The castle was monstrous but coincidentally he seemed to be running into the man more and more each day.

"What?" David spun around, hands gripping the railing as he frowned at the man who had snuck up on him. It unnerved him a little, for he had actually been surveying the land, imprinting possible routes to freedom in his memory.

"Seeing how far away from the castle you can get without the Queen noticing?" The younger man eyed him suspiciously and David got the inkling that he had somehow knew or felt his intentions of escaping when he'd had his hands on him, transmitting the Queen's memories. He wasn't sure how the Huntsman's power worked, but he looked at him as if he knew everything.

"Catching a breath of fresh air, actually," He kept his face expressionless, turning back to gaze out at the courtyard towards where the Queen still knelt in the distance beside the tall oak tree.

"She'd snap your neck if she knew you were watching," Graham approached the railing, stepping up beside him and crossing his arms. He could practically feel the animosity radiating from the man and he knew if it weren't for the Queen, he'd probably have tried to take him out by now. "She's extremely private."

"Bet she'd love to know you shared her darkest moments with me, then," David glanced at him, giving a half smirk at the sudden irritation that flashed across the Huntsman's features.

"You'd be wise not to let on that you know."

David sighed, figuring that much as he leaned on his hands and watched the woman, "Is that.."

"Her child's grave," Graham replied in quiet voice and David's heart sank for the Queen, despite not knowing her very well, despite her being his captor. "She goes out every morning, most of the time before the maids and such are up, prefers that no one witnesses her."

"And the child, it was...it belonged to the man in the stable? That was killed by the other woman," He grimaced at the memory replaying in his head, feeling the pang in his heart at the remnants of heartbreak and grief it evoked.

"By her mother? Yes," The man nodded without looking his direction, despite the way his statement made David snap his head towards him in disbelief. _The Queen's mother had murdered her lover in front of her?_

"What kind of mother..."

"The kind that forced her to marry a man three times her age," Graham interrupted him, seemingly knowing the exact process David's mind was following as he swallowed the harsh reality of Regina's past, "Trust me when I say he was cruel to her. The kingdom judges her harshly, claims she's evil while they honor the King's memory, not knowing he's the one that made her this way...with the help of her mother, of course. And Rumpelstiltskin."

"The Dark One?" He questioned the Huntsman, knowing how shady Rumple was.

"He trained her mother in magic...he knew Regina could be very powerful, so he waited until she was in a vulnerable moment and convinced her to let him be her mentor."

"I remember she looked so innocent in the stables..." David couldn't explain it but he'd felt the pureness of her heart, the goodness inside of her before her spirit was broken by her abusers.

"She was an innocent," The man replied in a deeper tone, a hint of protective anger in his voice as he spoke about her, "She still is in some ways. So know that I'm keeping an eye on you, I won't let her be hurt again."

David watched the Huntsman leave after extending the threat, disappearing back into the castle. He'd have to be more careful plotting his escape with the annoying young man constantly at his heels. He'd actually begun mapping out the castle grounds in his bed chamber the night before, but had gotten distracted by the sounds of glass breaking and wails from the Queen's chamber. He'd felt an odd pull to go to her but he'd decided against it, knowing if she were aware he'd been eavesdropping that she'd turn him to ash.

Still, she was even more intriguing to him after learning of her past. The images he'd seen still haunted him, especially when he witnessed her in moments like this, kneeling and talking to her departed child. It was a stark contrast to any interaction he'd had with her, to who she was for the rest of the world. The night they had sex was the closest to the woman behind the mask that he'd gotten and she'd avoided him like the plague ever since. It made him curious to figure her out, to find out what was going on inside that beautiful head of hers.

The Queen seemed to be going through some sort of life crisis and he assumed it was because putting Snow under the sleeping curse had not brought her the contentment she'd desired. He could tell she was a tormented soul, so deep in her grief that she was unable to see past her hatred to realize her inner peace would not come from revenge. David found himself wondering at times what she'd be like if she were happy, if she were able to love and be loved in return, if she had someone to care for her.

It troubled him how often he found her occupying his thoughts, far more than Snow did. He was still eager to escape to his beloved, but there was something about the troubled woman holding him captive that was slowly driving him crazy. The more she avoided him the hungrier for her he became. He'd heard the Huntsman walk the halls to her bed chamber on more than a few occasions during the time she'd been avoiding him. She certainly wasn't going without, but she'd awakened something animalistic inside of him since the night she'd cried out and came so violently on top of him. He found himself hard in the mornings after dreaming about her, frustrated during the day when he couldn't focus on anything else and angry that she'd gotten under his skin.

It was part of his plan, after all. To worm his way into her bed, using sex as a way to gain her trust and ultimately flee her captivity. That was why he wanted it, to get his freedom. _At least that's what he'd tell himself._

* * *

"What do you think you're doing?" Regina grit through her teeth, irritation shooting through her at the intrusion when David pushed open the door to her bed chamber. She was lounging on the chaise near the fireplace, snarling up at him as he closed the distance between them. She'd been avoiding him ever since the night she'd went to him, desperate and weak. It had been a display of vulnerability that made her uncomfortable to think about now, therefore she'd put some distance between their daily lives.

"I figured coming in here was the only way you couldn't run from me," He eyed her with a hungry expression, shifting on his feet. From this angle she realized what a big man he was, magnificent broad shoulders, long legs and a certain thick appendage, if she remembered correctly.

"And what do you want with me? You do realize you're my slave, I could kill you for barging in on me like this," She hissed, taking a sip from her goblet of wine.

"If you wanted to you would have already," He snapped back at her, fists clenched beside him. He was tense, his stature stirring something inside of her. "You haven't shown yourself in weeks, you asked me to draw up King George's battle plans for your defense. Or do you remember?" He threw the rolled up maps beside her on the lounge chair carelessly.

"Of course I remember," She snipped back as she slammed her wine goblet on the table beside her, standing from the chaise and stepping up to him. He'd crossed a line now, barging in and speaking to her with that tone. "You'd better watch how you address me. That is no way to talk to a Queen."

"I'm not scared of you," David shrugged at her, making her wish she had her heels on with the way he towered over her. "I'm sorry," He corrected himself sarcastically, "I'm not scared of you, _Your Majesty_."

"You should be," Regina hissed, reaching up to snatch the collar of his shirt and jerk him towards her, "I may be smaller than you, but I could snap you like a twig."

"Shut up," He rolled his eyes, bringing his hand up to her shoulder and pushing her back down on the chaise.

Rage filled her as she fell back onto the chair, looking up to see him fall down on his knees in front of her before she could react. He was the biggest fool she'd ever met for challenging her, but arousal rolled through her belly when he started to rut her dress up her legs, "I should kill you," She hissed with a malevolent glare at him as she propped herself on her elbows.

"Considering what I'm about to do to you, it'd be your loss," His eyes were intent on her, face void of any emotion, "Fuck," He groaned when he pushed the red velvet up her thighs, finding that she wore nothing underneath, "Why do I want you so much?"

She grit her teeth, feeling her breath quicken as he spread her thighs and visibly struggled with whatever it was he was feeling, "You don't want me, you're just missing your precious Snow," She reminded him, rubbing salt in the wound, delighting in the pained look on his face.

"How is that when I can barely get you out of my head?" He glared at her before his eyes traveled back down to the apex of her thighs, one of his hands sliding down her inner thigh and running his fingers over her slit, making her hiss, "What have you done to me? Is this some sort of spell?"

"Like I'd waste good magic on you," Regina groaned. Of course he'd think that she had tricked him with magic. _How could Prince Charming ever be attracted to the Evil Queen?_ She smirked at the irony, deciding she'd let herself enjoy it. He was obviously tortured with how much he wanted her and it made her feel powerful. "Go on then, Charming. Do your best."

David eyed her for a long moment, reveling in the fact that he had such a dangerous creature on her back, splayed and willing for him. Being this close to her was an excitement unlike anything he'd ever known. Her dress was hiked around her hips as she propped herself on her elbows, head tilted to the side as she watched him with a wicked smirk. His gaze traveled south as he spread her knees further apart, bending and propping them up over his shoulders.

She was petite, soft feminine curves and a beautiful, bare sex. He groaned to himself as he brushed his lips up her inner thigh, feeling her hand come into his hair as he inched closer and closer. Her skin tasted sweet, spurning him on as he brought his mouth over her lips, smirking when her hips squirmed slightly in impatience. A groan escaped him when he dipped his tongue in her folds, dragging it up and over her clit in one long motion.

Regina bit her bottom lip, scratching her nails against his scalp at the sight of his head between her thighs. She suppressed any kind of reaction, though his hot tongue had sent a jolt of electricity through her clit to her abdomen. Graham had introduced her to this, had done it countless times, but he'd never been her equal. He'd always asked her permission to lick or fuck her, had always cowered to her power. But David, he had shoved her down into the chaise, something she'd have killed most for, and proceeded to tell her that he was going to fuck her with his mouth.

Heat began to pool in her belly as he began to drag his tongue over her at a slightly faster pace, hands coming up to cup the back of her thighs and spreading her wide. She swallowed a moan when he changed the pace of his strokes, sucking down on her clit instead. He teased the bundle of nerves, pulling and tugging before going back to running his flattened tongue over her entire sex.

She gasped when he began to flick the tip of his tongue over her nub and she saw his eyes dart up to look at her, felt him smile against her wet opening, "That what you like?" He practically growled, making her reconsider her initial assumption that he'd be conservative in the bedroom.

"That the best you can do?" She prodded him through heavy breaths, tugging at his hair. Her legs curled over his shoulders and she had to suppress the urge to push herself up against his mouth harder and demand more. She wasn't about to give him that type of satisfaction, and as it turns out, she didn't have to.

An involuntary cry escaped her lips when he forced her thighs further apart and covered her with his mouth, tongue flicking against her clit in a rapid rhythm that had her abdomen tightening and coiling, hips squirming. His stubbled chin grazed her slit as his lips and tongue worked her up, made her start to pant. Her control dissipated when she began rocking her hips against his tongue, letting her head fall back as she groaned with the new friction.

David groaned when he felt her body start to respond to him, felt the queen of control unraveling underneath his mouth. Her hips were grinding against his face wantonly, spreading her juices over his mouth as he lapped away at her, keeping the vibrating rhythm against her clit. Both of her hands were in his hair now and she was whimpering in a way that had him painfully hard.

His fingertips gripped her thighs bruisingly in order to keep her where he needed her before they locked against his head. He knew she was almost there so he began flicking his tongue in earnest, "Come for me," He demanded, voice muffled as he growled against her and she moaned loudly, curling her hips harder, faster. He pushed her to the precipice, feeling her body tense suddenly before he sucked down on her clit harshly, ripping a cry from her throat when he pulled the orgasm out of her.

Regina fell back flat against the chaise, both arms extended, fingers gripping his hair firmly as her orgasm wracked her body. It was one of the hot clutching, long ones that she usually only achieved by penetration. She was practically panting when her eyes opened, readjusting to the dim lighting, feeling him straighten up on his knees. He was looking down at her with a gaze so hungry, chin and mouth glistening, causing something inside of her to snap.

She reached up and gripped the back of his neck, pulling herself into a sitting position as she jerked him down for a bruising kiss. He groaned instantly, devouring her mouth and making her taste herself on his tongue. His hands came down to grip her ass, lifting her from the chaise and bringing her body up against his with a thud as her arms wrapped around his neck and shoulders, clinging to him.

Their kiss grew anxious and sloppy as they both tumbled to the floor, David laying her down with a hand behind her head so it wouldn't crack off the stone but he never broke the contact of their lips. She grunted when he laid on top of her, trying to reach down for the string of his pants to rip them open and failing. He groaned when she started grinding her hips, bringing one of his own hands down in a desperate attempt to free himself.

"Fuck it," She groaned, flicking her wrist and making both of their restricting outfits dissolve into thin air. "Just do it."

David gripped his throbbing erection, pushing his tip against her before sheathing himself inside of her and making them both emit noises of pleasure, "You're so wet," He groaned through clenched teeth as he pressed his hands against the cold stone beside her head, thrusting forward and taking her to the hilt. She hissed, small hands coming up between them to dig nails into his bare chest.

"Yes," Regina groaned and clamped her legs around his waist, her eyes screwing shut as her lips parted in pleasure when he started to thrust. There was nothing romantic or intimate about it when he started to pound into her and it was delicious. The cold floor against her back made her nipples hard and she brought her hands down to tug and tease at them, losing herself in the pleasure.

He tried to focus on not coming too soon as he drove himself into her, watching her play with her breasts as her face contorted with each thrust. She was tight and hot and wet and he knew she could take him with how aroused she was so he rutted harder, deeper. The hard floor beneath was wrecking his knees but he couldn't feel anything other than her wet heat tensing and stretching around his cock.

Regina dug her heels into his lower back, pushing her hips up to him and crying out when he hit the spot deep within her that Graham had only found on a handful of occasions, "Right there!" She hissed before moaning loudly when Charming responded without missing a beat, hitting that button over and over and over until she was writhing and crying out, hands snaking around to dig into his back. The scream that left her sounded foreign to her own ears when he made her come, nails scraping down his toned back so hard she was sure he bled. He muttered a string of curse words as his own face contorted and he drove deeply within her one last time, filling her with his hot seed.

His arms shook as he tried desperately to hold himself up over her, still buried inside of her as he tried to catch his breath. When he opened his eyes he found her staring up at him with a dark, sated expression. She was troubling her bottom lip, chest heaving and body unmoving underneath him as her hands fell from his back. He opened his mouth to speak and saw her brows furrow in response and before he knew it, he was no longer lingering over her. Blinking rapidly, he took in the new surroundings of his bed chamber where he now laid in his bed, still naked and sticky from their sex. He ran a hand over his face and let out a breath, staring up at the ceiling as he tried to process just what was happening between them.


	5. Chapter 5

David wasn't sure when it became so comfortable, but he glanced over at the sleeping Queen laying bare beside of him and contemplated the situation. He sighed and his cock stirred at the sight of her naked body, though he wasn't sure how that was even possible after how long they'd been at it before she passed out, sated and sleepy. After the night he'd barged into her quarters, he'd made it a habit of going there nearly every evening.

She hadn't turned him down yet, always let him in despite whatever type of mood she was in. Her wall was still high and sturdy, not intentionally letting him get to know her, but he was observant, noticed which subjects were sensitive for her and what ones would absolutely set her off. He began to recognize the slight changes in her expression when something irritated or scared her, though she thought she hid it so well.

There was something intoxicating about her, making him want to figure her out, to pick up the pieces and help her heal. The glimpses of her memories that he'd seen still haunted him as his eyes gazed over her form, noticing the faint little stretch marks on her abdomen. One wouldn't notice them if he hadn't known she'd had a child, but he was aware and he'd also had ample opportunity to find every mark on her skin.

The sex they had was primal, heated and rough, allowing him to become very familiar with every inch of her. It often led to round after round, depleting each other until she'd fall asleep, forgetting to order him to leave or magic him back to his own quarters. He relished in moments like this when he could watch her with her guard down and her expression relaxed. She looked much younger and innocent when she slept, no traces of the anger or anxiety that usually creased her pretty features.

His stomach sank as he considered the torment she'd suffered to turn her into the distant and abrasive person when she appeared so soft in moments like this. He'd seen her through memories before tragedy struck her. She was wide eyed and beautiful and naïve; the flashback of her in that stable made his heart constrict every time he thought of it. A part of him wished he could go back in time and save that girl, shelter her from the harm that had turned her into such a broken creature.

He was in too deep, that much he was well aware of. This was only meant to be a way to get closer to her and his freedom, but he'd become invested in the Queen that slept peacefully beside him. Bit by bit, he'd come to understand her, even though she was still cagey and flighty around him. She wasn't as hard to figure out as one may think if you knew her past and observed how she carried herself now.

Her extravagant outfits and dark makeup were costumes, shielding her physically from the outside world. From what he'd gathered, her mother had been emotionally abusive, little comments the Queen made about Cora giving that much away. Regina painted herself up, suffocated herself with corsets, covered herself in jewels to overcompensate for her crippled self esteem. He noticed in the mornings when she woke up bare faced and naked in front of him she was snippy and fleeting until she'd donned her Evil Queen mask and then the confidence oozed from her.

The corsets and dresses were low cut, skin tight, leaving little to the imagination when it came to the curves of her body. It was all a show, the way she paraded her assets around, sexual innuendos dripping from her lips and her flirty demeanor towards men. He knew it was a way to feel in control of her body and the memories that haunted her. If she put herself on display like an object then she was in control of the way men looked at her, even if it disgusted her. He knew in her eyes it seemed less vulnerable than being herself in front of others, like the young, armor-less Regina who had worn the most conservative dresses and still been fondled by a drunk King in front of his peers, had been humiliated and made the object of the older men's jokes and lust.

Her control over her own body had been stolen from her at a young age when she was defiled by the man three times her age. Glimpses of the violent and vile things the King had done to her made David's own stomach turn. He wanted to reach out and pull her to him, cuddle her in his arms and make her feel safe. _Had anyone ever done that for her?_ She was practically a child when she wed, treated like a replacement, dignity stripped from her and innocence stolen. He still remembered the shame she felt from the memories he'd seen, the helplessness as the abuse happened, having no one to turn to that could save her from Leopold.

In addition to her hyper-sexual demeanor he'd noticed she liked to be the dominate one when it came to initiating sex. The first few times he'd taken the lead he could see the hesitation in her eyes before she'd reciprocated. She was severely intolerant of anything close to intimacy, always insisting he take her harder and faster. She'd ask him to _fuck_ her, would say things to him that even made him blush, and he would oblige her request to take her roughly, but he had a feeling it was because it was simply the only way she knew.

A whimper caused him to glance back at her, noticing the way her face contorted in her sleep. The dream seemed to become more vivid to her and she stirred more, her fingers grasping at the bed sheets beside her. She turned her head to the side quickly, eyes scrunched shut and a pained look on her face as a slur of pleas left her lips. _No_ , _please_.

His heart lurched when he realized what was happening to her in the dream, swallowing hard as he pushed himself up on his elbow. She was panting now, whimpering louder as she begged it to end. "Regina," He reached out quickly and put a hand on her arm and she screamed.

"No!" She shot up from her position, legs twisted in covers as she scrambled back from his touch and her eyes popped open. They were wide and wild, chest heaving breathlessly as she stared at him.

"It's me, you're safe," David said gently, speaking in a calm tone as he watched her surroundings register with her, "It's okay. He can't hurt you again."

Her eyes flashed from scared to angry as she pulled at the covers, wrapping them around herself and sliding off of the bed before he could reach for her, "Who?" She glared at him, becoming defensive as she tried to gather herself. Her skin was pale but she was sweaty and he could tell she trembled from the dream despite how she tried to hold it together, "What are you talking about?" She grit through her teeth.

"I..." He hesitated with a frown, biting down on his bottom lip at the expression on her face. Her jaw was tense and she was livid with the inkling that he knew of her past, "I know about...the King," He admitted.

The Queen's eyes widened and her face flushed, chest heaving harder for breath. He saw a flicker of shame and embarrassment as she turned from him quickly, "Did Graham tell you?" She reached out to clutch the back of the chair near her bed, other hand gripping the sheet around her as she avoided looking at him. "Damn him! What did he tell you?"

"He...he showed me what..." David frowned and hesitated, knowing she was feeling humiliated, "..what the King did to you...and a few other things about your past."

"You two had no right to discuss my life behind my back!" She screamed and turned to him then, knuckles of the hand clutching her sheet turning white. He'd never seen anyone look so angry and scared and ashamed at once. It was as if a battle was waging inside of her on which emotion would win, beating her to death from the inside out. She looked desperate and vulnerable and dangerous all at the same time.

He scooted to the edge of the bed, already having slipped his shorts back on earlier, feet hitting the cool stone and making his way around the end of the four poster. "We weren't discussing it. He threatened me to stay away from you and when he touched me he transmitted the memories," David explained gently as he approached her. She was like a wild animal when angry; if you moved towards her too suddenly she would flee or hurt you. "You have nothing to be ashamed of, Regina."

She scoffed with a bitter chuckle, snarling up at him in a way that made her scar prominent and her eyes glitter, "I'm not. You can save your pity," Her face was set firmly but her eyes gave her away. They always did. They were glossy with unshed tears and anxiety, he assumed from the dream, coupled with the intense vulnerability knew she wasn't used to showing.

"I'm not pitying you," David took another step towards her, watching her eyes dart to the distance between them as if she were calculating when to dart away, "Come here," He gently beckoned her, standing still. He wouldn't push himself on her in this moment, seeing her working through a flood of emotions.

"No, stay away from me," She hissed, "I should've killed you when I had the chance. I should've gotten rid of Graham by now, too. You're nothing but a burden. Weak men trying to make themselves feel better by pretending to care. You think you're so much better than the King, but you're not," She spat at him defiantly and he knew she was grasping at whatever she could to get him to storm away and leave her alone.

"Oh?" He pressed his lips into a firm line and crossed his arms, "How's that?"

"You take what you want and you leave," She laughed bitterly, "Your heart lies with another woman and I will never be her. All I have is a pathetic excuse for a man who thinks he loves me because I imprisoned him," She referenced Graham and wrapped the sheet around her tighter as she shivered in the middle of the room, "No one is here by choice. The only people I ever loved are dead and gone and I have turned myself into something unlovable."

"That's not true," David frowned, seeing her tremble and her neck flush as she appeared to be trying to stave off a panic attack.

"Really?" The candlelight on the nightstand provided just enough light in the drafty room for him to see her face as she spoke. The pain he saw in those dark depths physically hurt him, for he'd never seen anyone look so broken. "What part of it is untrue?"

"Your Majesty..." He watched her visibly break before him and tears began to roll down her face. This was not going to end well and he wondered if she would allow him to live after seeing her in such a vulnerable state.

"Tell me!" She screamed, face contorted with emotion, "I've seen the way you look at me in disgust. Had I been pure like your beloved would you have bedded me so easily? No. But I'm broken in, I've been used and disposed of and I don't deserve love or respect because of what I've become," She hissed with a bitter laugh as if she were speaking to herself more so than to him, "The King ruined me, if you knew what he-" Her voice broke and she swallowed hard, steeling her expression, "-did to me you would not find me desirable. I cannot even bear a child and I did that much to myself. I let this darkness inside me swallow me whole and I've done things I cannot take back. Tell me, who would find me suitable to love?!"

"Regina," David's heart felt like it was shattering at the devastation he witnessed, seeing her sway on her feet and start to crumble to the floor. He quickly closed the distance between them, catching her on her way down, falling to his knees and pulling her body to his as it wracked with sobs. She melted into him, practically vibrating with emotion and her face buried in his neck. He held her as tightly as he could, pressing the side of his head to her own as she curled herself in his lap, drawing her knees up towards her chest. She felt so small in his arms that encased her fully, feeling her own cling to his neck.

"I think you're beautiful," He said softly near her ear, closing his eyes as he nuzzled his face in her hair and let her cry in his embrace. His chest ached with his own emotion at the sounds of her mournful sobs that caused her entire being to shake and he held her tighter in an attempt to ease her burden. "What has been done to you does not determine your worth."

She did not respond, only clung to him like a child needing comfort and he felt his own eyes gloss over with tears, "If you wish to share your pain with me, I will take it, Regina."

Her shoulders shook with another sob at his offer and he knew she'd reached a breaking point. Years worth of suppressed memories and self loathing and pain were coming to the surface. He felt her hand press against his chest over where his heart was, felt her tears soaking the skin of his neck as she gasped to try to catch her breath. Her magic began to seep into his chest from her palm and he began to feel the emotions swirling inside of her. He braced himself for the experience, knowing if she was willingly sharing that it must be overwhelming.

_A teenage Regina knelt in front of a black haired pre-teen with familiar eyes. It was Snow and Regina was explaining to her that she mustn't tell the King or anyone that she was in love with someone else. The next flash was a feeling of realization that Snow had told Regina's mother. The next was a bloody scene, the man he'd watched die in the stables laying on a table with his chest split open in some sort of surgical procedure. Regina was leaning over him sobbing, covered in his blood. She'd tried to have him brought back to life and failed._

_A flash brought Regina's bed chamber into view and he watched the King drunkenly grab at her as she tried to resist. Leopold overpowered her easily, jerking open her robe in preparation to push her down onto the bed. She stood before him with wide, fearful eyes when her rounded stomach came into view and the King noticed despite his stupor. David grimaced as he felt the sting of the hit Regina received from the back of his hand, one of his rings ripping her upper lip. Relief flooded him when the man stormed out and left her alone, but she crumpled to the bed, blood trickling down her chin as she cried and wrapped her arms around her pregnant stomach._

_Joy. The next scene he felt her joy as she stood on her balcony, heavily pregnant with the sun beating down on her face. She was too thin and pale to be healthy but she was happy, hands pressed against her midsection and he felt the child move in her womb. It as a beautiful feeling. This child was her chance at true love, of having someone all her own that needed her as much as she needed them. The tone suddenly changed and the still face of a dark haired infant came into view. Her chamber was empty aside from her and the babe she'd brought into the world by herself._

"He would be ten years old now if he'd lived," Her trembling voice brought him from the memories and he opened his eyes, looking down at her though her own head was tucked into the curve of his neck. "He was so beautiful."

David pressed his lips against the top of her head, "Regina...how old are you?" He held her tightly against him, feeling the fierce need to protect her overwhelming him.

"I turned twenty-eight yesterday," She whispered, her own arms keeping the sheet wrapped around her as she shivered from her exhausted nerves.

His heart thumped in his chest. _Fucking hell, this woman._ She was only seventeen when she'd been made a Queen and buried her baby within the same year. Her own life did not matter enough to her to even tell anyone when she turned another year older. He was only two years her junior, but she'd seem much more hardship than he could even imagine before she'd reached her twenties.

"I am so sorry." He murmured, for it was the only appropriate thing to say to her. Her grief was unimaginable and feeling it first hand saddened and enraged him at the same time. She held his fiance responsible for telling her secret, the thing that started the downward spiral of her life. He understood how grief and depression had chipped away at her, her helplessness clouding her judgement, the influence of others eating away at her spirit, turning her into someone she did not recognize. It would have been easy to get lost in that sadness, especially with no one to look out for her.

She did not respond to him and he held her in silence. He felt her body slowly begin to relax against him after some time had passed, her chest rising and falling more slowly. The panic attack and reliving the memories had exhausted her mentally and physically, he knew, for he was tired as well. When he finally tilted his head to the side to look at her he let out a breath of relief to see her eyes closed, sleep taking her again. He was careful as her kept his arm cradling her, shifting onto his knees and standing gently from the floor.

Her head lolled and rested against his chest and he bit down on his lip at the warmth it evoked in him. The dangerous woman who leveled villages and took down entire armies was simply a soft hearted, wounded soul who'd lost much. She barely stirred when he laid her down in the bed and crawled over her to lay down beside her sleeping form, wrapping an arm around her. She'd probably kill him for this when she woke up and was no longer in her vulnerable state, but she snuggled up against him now and he comforted her willingly.

* * *

Regina felt the warmth of an embrace when she woke, causing her eyes to flutter open and anxiety shoot through her as the memory of the night before came back to her. Panic welled in her throat as she recalled how she cried and clung to him and opened up to him. She wanted to throw up. She wanted to run. She wanted to scream at him. He must've felt her tense upon wakening, his own eyes coming open just inches away from her own.

"Morning," He mumbled sleepily with a tired smile, both of his arms remaining wrapped around her tightly. It felt so good but embarrassment still swirled inside of her, leaving her shocked and speechless...like an absolute idiot. He'd been so caring towards her, so reassuring. She felt pathetic for how she'd broken down but she'd never had anyone around to witness her panic attacks before. She'd never felt the comforting embrace of someone offering to help ease the burden. She'd been weak when he'd done exactly that and she'd given into he feeling, leaving her unsure of how to act towards him now.

"Hey," He brought one hand from her back, rubbing his thumb over her temple in a circular motion, "Slow down in there. It's okay."

His voice was so low and smooth and comforting it made her heart ache and her throat well with emotion. No one had ever just held her like this. She'd never woken up in someones arms. He seemed to know her mind was racing and he continued to gently caress her temple, remaining strong and calm as he held her.

"I-I'm sorry you had to see that last night I-" She began, swallowing hard at the lump in her throat before he cut her off.

"I'm not," He said simply, looking back at her with honest, piercing blue eyes that stirred something inside of her chest, "I'm honored that you would share something so personal with me."

"It's not as if I gave you an option I was acting insane. It's just those dreams always feel so real and I just...I don't know," She stumbled for words as she rambled. _God she was acting so weak_. "I owe you now and I don't like owing people favors."

"You owe me? For what?" He raised an eyebrow as he kept his right hand resting over her cheek and hair, thumb continuing it's soothing pattern on her temple, "Regina...what happened last night. That's what people do for each other."

"Why would you do that for me, though? I'm keeping you here against your will, you hate me," She rambled and frowned but did not attempt to move from his embrace. He was being so warm and welcoming, like someone who actually cared for her.

"You needed someone last night," He answered frankly, his eyes never leaving her, "I once despised you, I won't lie. But I've come to understand you in the past months here and I know I shouldn't but I feel this pull to you.."

"You're only missing Snow, you...don't mean that," She pressed a hand against his chest and started to push herself away from him but he held her to him, "Let me go. I'm not going to listen to this. It doesn't mean anything."

He was a good man. A noble man. He was younger than her and engaged to be married to someone pure, without the immense baggage Regina had herself. There was no way he had any real feelings for her. He was merely confused and missing his true love.

Still he held her in his arms and refused to let her go and she found herself wanting to give into the feeling. Even if it wasn't true, she could pretend to be worthy of his affection for a few minutes, couldn't she? It may be the only chance she ever had to experience what life could have been like with someone who was gentle and kind and saw her as more than the Evil Queen.

"Do you not think I struggle with this?" David's throat bobbed as he stared at her, his hand sliding back to card his fingers through her hair as the other one stayed wrapped around her waist, "I am promised to someone else, yet I am here, holding you and it feels...right."

Her heart ached at his words and she yearned to believe him. She knew he honestly believed there was a connection between them and she wished it was more than him being confused, shifting his longing for his fiancé to her because she was there and willing. Anticipation fluttered within her when their eyes locked and he leaned in, giving her a kiss that was gentle and slow, reminiscent of the shy, hesitant kisses she and Daniel had shared.

She sighed into his mouth and melted against his body under the warmth of the covers, allowing herself to forget who and what she was for a moment. His hand on her back caressed up and down her bare skin, making her nipples harden where they pressed against his chest. He tilted his head slightly to kiss her at another angle, his tongue slipping into her mouth. It had been over ten years since anyone had kissed her with such care, making tears well in her eyes a she kissed him deeper in response.

His member began to stiffen against her abdomen and she instinctually reached down to grip him, lifting her leg over his hip to allow him to take her. He caught her by surprise by gripping her wrist gently, "This isn't about that, Regina," He murmured against her lips and her chest ached with emotion as he brought her hand back up and placed it over his shoulder before he kissed her again, gently but deeply.

"I-" She mumbled against his lips, self doubt niggling within her stomach, "I'm not sure what...how to.." _He wanted to make love to her._ A notion that she normally would have scoffed at, but her heart was raw with vulnerability and longing for the experience.

"Relax," He whispered against her lips as he rolled her onto her back, settling between her legs, "Do you trust me?" He pressed his forehead to hers. It was an odd question for him to ask. The fiancé of her enemy. He wasn't hers and she wasn't supposed to trust him, but she nodded slowly.

"Then just enjoy it," He gave her a gentle smile before pressing his lips back to hers, tongue slipping back into her mouth. A whimper escaped her as their tongues dueled and teased one another's, feeling his hands caress over her thighs and to her waist, thumbs brushing over the sides of her breasts. He touched her body like it had never been touched, like she was worthy of receiving worship and adoration.

She tilted her head to kiss him at a different angle and he moaned, prompting her to bring her hands up, running them over his sculpted chest and slopes of his shoulders. Her fingertips traced his shoulder blades before running up his neck and into his hair. She'd never had someone spend so much time just kissing her, exploring her, making her feel special. A little part of her still wanted to push him away or demand that he take her to ward off the intimacy, but she suppressed her fear as her body became aroused.

David had a way of taking control but allowing her to be comfortable with it. He was a perfect mixture of masculinity and gentleness. She knew he could take her roughly, she'd made him do it countless times, but somehow she was still satisfied with this softer momentum. He'd yet to touch her intimately but her body was already beginning to buzz, finding herself spreading her legs for him to lay his full weight in between. They both moaned when his member pressed between their hips, his shaft slipping through her folds.

"You're so beautiful," He mumbled when he lifted his head a few inches from her own and looked at her, beginning to grind his hips between her own, creating a sweet friction between their sexes. Her fingers scratched his scalp gently and pulled at his hair, noticing the way he seemed to like the feeling when he gave a husky groan. Graham had whispered words of adoration to her from time to time and she'd scoffed at him, but strangely from David it felt like the truth. The Huntsman looked at her with too much pity in his eyes, nothing like the way the Prince looked at her now.

His bright blue had turned a darker shade as he gazed down at her, gently gliding his erection through her folds that were growing slick. He gave her a heated smile as he reached for her hands, pressing them against the bed above her head, fingers threading through her own. She tilted her head to the side and smiled back at him, allowing herself to play the part. This was the closest she'd ever be to having someone in such an intimate way.

"Are you all right?" He questioned when he pinned her hands against the mattress and she gave him a nod. His lips found the skin of her neck when he ducked his head, continuing the torturously slow curling of his hips between her own. She moaned softly near his ear, arching her back to press her breasts up against him for more friction. Her thighs wrapped around his waist, bending her knees and pulling him closer to her.

She moaned when she felt his tongue trace patterns on her sensitive skin, lips nipping on occasion. Her stomach fluttered when he brought one hand down between them and gripped himself, "David," She gripped his bicep with her free hand when he began to rub the tip of his cock against her throbbing bundle of nerves. His other hand remained above her head, his fingers threaded through her own as he lifted his gaze to watch her expressions.

" _Yes,_ " She gave a breathy moan at the soft, wet friction of his stroking member on her clit. Her free hand found her breast and she massaged it, tweaking at her nipple as their gazes locked and she pleaded with him silently to take her. He understood the look she gave him, his lips curling in a hint of a smile as he pushed his cock down her slit and sank into her with a deep groan.

"Regina," He murmured when he let his forehead fall to her neck, shifting his hips when her thighs wrapped higher around his back. They fit together so perfectly it made her ache, the feeling pleasantly full and perfectly snug. She gasped and let her head fall back when he began to rock into her, bringing her hand that wasn't pinned up to his hair to pull him up for a kiss. He groaned into her mouth and kissed her back with fervor, letting go of her hand he had pinned as he bent his arm to keep himself propped above her with his elbow.

" _Oh god_ ," She moaned and let her eyes close, wrapping her arm around his neck and curling her hand into his hair. Her other hand grasped at his back when his own large one came under her bottom and tilted her hips up to him. She felt her thighs spread wider at the gesture, felt him push deeper when he rolled his hips into her. " _Right there_ ," She whimpered against his lips, biting down on the lower one as she began to curl herself up to meet his thrusts, feeling herself begin to tighten in response.

"I can feel you, you're so close," His voice rumbled a few octaves lower as he pressed his forehead to hers, his strokes hitting her at just the right angle. "That's it," He beckoned her, feeling her hips begin to curl towards him greedily, heels digging into his lower back for leverage. "Yes, god you feel so good when you come," he groaned when she began to tighten around him, fingernails digging into his scalp and back.

The pleasure that rolled through her was white hot and deep, starting at her center and radiating through her abdomen and down her legs as her body tensed and she let out a sharp little cry that would have been longer if she hadn't lost her ability to make sound halfway through it. Her lips formed an 'o' shape in a choked moan and she buried her face into his neck as he thrust through her writhing before she felt his hot seed spill inside of her. His body weight pressed her into the mattress when he gently collapsed, but it was not a suffocating feeling as it had been in the past.

She caressed his skin with her fingertips as they both tried to catch their breath, feeling his hand still holding her hips and his face pressed into her neck. It was so intimate and beautiful. It frightened her to think of all the boundaries had been crossed between last night and this morning. It was glorious and terrifying at the same time. She tried reminding herself that this wasn't real and nothing would come of it, but she'd made the mistake of letting him in when she knew he wouldn't stay. _What had she done?_


	6. Chapter 6

David was consumed. Desperately and utterly consumed by this beautiful creature. She was the most intricate woman he'd ever met. She was elusive and distant one moment and warm the next. It had been about a month since she'd allowed him to make love with her and since then he'd been able to get to know her. Of course, it wasn't all at once.

Regina would show him bits and pieces of her in different ways. It was a slow progression but he'd learned how to approach her at the right times. He'd learned to read her moods and know when she needed space, or when he should try a little harder. He could tell she thought she was good at concealing her emotions, but those big brown eyes always gave her away to him. They were the most expressive eyes he'd ever seen; letting him know when she was thinking of someone from her past or when she was feeling insecure or when she was giving him a genuine smile. As long as he could see them, he knew how she was feeling inside.

Things had shifted dramatically between them after the morning she'd woken up in his arms after her breakdown. His heart beat faster as he remembered the way she let him make love to her. The vulnerability in her usually shielded eyes made his heart ache for her and made him feel fiercely protective of her. To be able to show her intimacy she'd never experienced before made it like the first time for him all over again. His own experience had only been with bar wenches and casual friends, never like this.

She'd been so soft underneath him, her body and the expression she wore. Her eyes had even glistened with unshed tears when he'd lifted his head after they finished. He saw the young girl in her again, the one he'd seen in the flashbacks of her with the stable-boy. It was as if their lovemaking had awakened some feeling inside of her that she'd let go dormant for years. The way she looked at him now had even changed, a warmth to the whiskey eyes that hadn't been there before.

He leaned against the balcony of his bed chamber, smiling to himself as he watched her atop her champion mare, galloping across the open field. The horse was all black and amazingly fast and graceful, a perfect machine for it's elegant rider. She wore a pair of skin tight black riding pants, a red blazer and tall riding boots. A matching hat adorned her head but her hair was down her back, bouncing with each gallop her horse took. He smirked to himself when he wondered how she had energy to go ride this morning after they'd been up most of the night.

It had started out with dinner. Her armies had defeated George in a battle and she'd been in a pleasant mood after hearing it. She was constantly under stress over his kingdom, warding off attacks. The man had an agenda out for her when he found out David was still alive and not being as mistreated as she promised. He bit his lip at the mere thought of what all Regina had done to simply keep him alive. A Queen didn't typically care that much about a prisoner, did they?

They'd both gotten a little tipsy during dinner on the new wine she'd had imported, making conversation easier. She was always less defensive when she had spirits in her system and more apt to open up to him. Her recent victory had put her in a playful mood and she'd teased him and joked. Of course when the servants or Graham was near, she was cold as ice to him, but alone she was showing him glimpses of who she truly was. _And it was addicting._

They'd started talking about her next battle plan and what strategy she was going to take next. Watching her discuss her kingdom was enthralling to witness. She was so fiercely protective of what was hers, so passionate about defending herself. He'd never known a woman that was so intelligent when it came to business and politics. He knew she'd taught herself all of it, as well, which was even more fascinating to him. The people she had terrorized for their disloyalty she also sent rations and supplies to, as well as her army to ensure they were safe.

David's favorite thing to do was to poke holes in her plans by playing the devil's advocate and she'd squash his argument each time. She had a strategy and back up plan for every instance and it amused him to watch her shut him down with a raise of her confident eyebrow over the rim of her wine goblet. Challenging each other was becoming a game they liked to play to work the other one up. He knew she'd always have a counter when he tried to best her. She knew he'd always interrogate her to make sure she was on her game. He had to admit, they complimented each other nicely.

Then, _gods_ , somehow they'd ended up on the dining hall table. Her dress was hiked around her waist, legs splayed as he pounded into her. Wine goblets and silverware went everywhere, her moans echoing throughout the stone room. She was completely lost in the pleasure, back arching from table and her eyes screwed shut, breasts bouncing. He knew the guards were right outside the door, which made it more exciting that anyone could come in at any moment. Not because they couldn't hear him, but due to the screams she started to let out. Anyone would think he was killing her at this rate.

They hadn't simply fucked like this in a while and it was a nice change of pace. And she was wet, _so so wet_ , body primed up from the ample wine they'd both consumed. She came with a scream, muscles clenching around him so tightly he'd spilled himself inside of her. He'd apologized for finishing inside of her and she'd looked up at him quickly, eyes changing emotion so fast he almost didn't catch it. She'd mumbled not to worry about it and shoved him off of her almost as if he'd crossed some boundary he wasn't aware of.

When she diverted her gaze as she announced she was going to bed he knew something was wrong with her, but she poofed herself away in a cloud of purple smoke before he could speak up. He took off almost immediately out of the dining hall and down the corridor, glaring at the guards who gawked at him in awe after hearing their escapade. His fist pounded on her door determinedly and she'd growled at him to go away, but he didn't relent until he eventually kicked it open, breaking the latch.

"I said go away," Regina snarled at him from her seat at her dressing table. Her eyes glittered with tears and her eyes were rimmed red despite her dark makeup that coated them. He saw her chest heaving for air underneath her corset and he knew she was having another panic attack.

"No," He ignored her demand, shutting her bedroom door behind him and taking long strides towards her. "What happened back there?" He asked when he stepped up behind her, locking eyes with her in the mirror.

"Why do you even care?" She hissed and he saw the turmoil in her eyes and the way she clutched the edge of the table.

"Because one minute I was making you scream in ecstasy and the next minute you're storming out in tears," He looked at her frankly before glancing down her back, reaching his finger to begin loosening her corset for her to allow her to catch her breath, "I'm here, Regina."

"It's 'Your Majesty'," She snapped and gasped for breath when he had loosened her corset enough for her lungs to fill, "You'd do-do well to r-remember that. Don't think you're any more special than anyone around here. You're replaceable. _Disposable._ "'

"You're deflecting," David replied, watching her shoot up from the seat she was in, "You don't want to tell me what really happened back there and you're trying to get a rise out of me so I'll get mad and leave you alone. I know your game, _Your Majesty_."

"Don't you fucking mock me," She growled and took a step towards him, poking her finger into his chest, "Do you know what happens to you when you're no longer useful to me? You die!" She hissed, anger bubbling in her whiskey depths. She was furious, _so very furious_ , but he knew the anger was not directed at him. Something prior to this fight had triggered her into thinking of whatever had upset her and she was too stubborn to admit it, rather taking it out on him.

"Well, you're keeping me around for some reason and I don't think it has to do with army strategy or even sex," David challenged her back, growing irritated himself. The past few months he'd walked on egg shells around her as he learned how to handle her. One wrong move and he'd have to endure her wrath, one right move and he'd get to see the soft side of her that he was so addicted to. The fact that she was shutting him out now, pretending that this was all a sham, didn't settle right with him.

"Don't," She glared, grabbing a fistful of his shirt and twisting it angrily in her small hand, "Don't actually think you're anything more to me than a toy. I grew tired of the Huntsman and needed a variety. That's it."

"Then why have you stopped seeing him?" He looked down at her, keeping his hands to the side. There wasn't anything she could do that could make him want to physically harm her. She'd experienced enough violence at the hands of men.

She let out a deep, bitter laugh then as she looked up at him with a smirk, "You fool, what makes you think I have?" She tilted her head to the side and he no longer saw Regina reflected in her eyes. It was the Evil Queen looking back at him, eyes darkened to black and taunting him, wanting to cause pain. "In fact, I was thinking of enjoying you both...together," She grinned and loosened her grip of his shirt, sliding her fingertips over the little bit of his chest that was showing, "What do you think, shepherd? Can you play nice with a wolf?"

David gripped her delicate wrist firmly, causing her to look up with a slack jaw, shocked that he would stand up to her, "You'll have to kill me first, because I am not sharing you with him," He growled, face only inches from hers. There was a faint flicker of warmth that flashed in her dark eyes at his admission he was jealous of her before she hardened them again. He merely shook his head, letting her wrist drop before storming out of her bed chamber, leaving her speechless in his wake.

* * *

Regina gazed past her own reflection in the mirror as she ran her hairbrush over her waist length hair. It was typically always at least halfway pinned back, but she made it a point to take it down and brush her locks as her father usually did for her. He'd started the sweet tradition when she was just a little girl and continued it now in attempts to soothe her when she was brooding. She'd sent him to her childhood manor before she'd enacted the sleeping curse on Snow White, not wanting him here to witness her going through with the truly evil deeds she knew he'd be disappointed in.

Something kept her from sending her guard to go retrieve him even now that she'd put Snow White into an eternal sleep. There was a part of her that didn't want to admit to him that he was right. He always tried to remind her that revenge was not the answer and that holding onto the hate in her heart would only hurt herself. She couldn't let him see that she'd gone through with the sleeping curse and was even emptier than she was before. It was foolish to still care about her father's opinion of her, he'd seen her do atrocious things, but she couldn't help it.

Her heart ached for him, but she did not consider herself worthy of his love anymore. Besides, what did she have to offer him? He suffered at the hands of her mother for years, only for his beloved daughter to grow up to be ten times worse than Cora ever considered being. She'd snapped at him and reprimanded him incessantly while she plotted her revenge on Snow. Why would he want to come back, anyways?

Revenge on Snow had left her confused and hollow. The anger no longer vibrated within her, but the years of hurt remained. She began to realize the repercussions of what she'd become since declaring her step-daughter the enemy. The kingdom didn't just reject her now, they loathed and feared her. The mother she loved and hated was banished to another realm. The father she'd taken for granted would see her as a great disappointment. The prince she'd imprisoned used her while longing for her former step-daughter.

There was nothing left for her, now. Revenge and anger had been the only thing that she'd had. It was what she'd put above everything else in her lifetime. Her quest to avenge the innocent young girl she'd once been had turned her into a monster, worse than any of the monsters she'd faced. A monster that imprisoned innocent people and destroyed lives. A monster that kept true love apart. A monster that killed without second thought.

She sighed and laid the brush down on her vanity, staring at herself in the mirror. When did she become so gaunt and lifeless? Her cheekbones stuck out severely, jaw line sharp and circles under her eyes. When she made herself up it wasn't as noticeable, but seeing herself bare of any makeup or jewelry made her stomach sink. _I think you're beautiful._

She hated the way her heart constricted at the memory of David's words echoing in her mind. Whatever was going on between them had to stop soon. He was merely filling the void with her, yet she felt herself slowly becoming attached to the warmth and acceptance he was showing her. Daniel had loved _Regina_ , not the Evil Queen, and she had a feeling if he knew her now he'd be disgusted by her. Their night together had been a nervous, adolescent fumbling that ended much too soon. It was perfect, it had given her her son after all, but he hadn't worshiped her with skilled caresses and kisses like David did.

The way he looked at her when they _made love_ made her ache for it all to be real. He saw her at her worst, he'd been a victim of it, but he still gazed down at her as if she really were beautiful. As if she really were worthy of affection. Her resolve was slowly beginning to lessen towards him, each one of his kind gestures chipping away at her wall. It was dangerous. Still, the tender moments had ignited a tiny little spark in her that she hadn't felt in years. A hopeful kind of feeling that maybe she didn't always have to be so unhappy. So alone.

The opening of her chamber door startled her and she found herself looking back to her mirror quickly for David's reflection. Irritation and disappointment sparked within her at the sight of Graham. Disappointment that it wasn't the shepherd and irritation that she'd immediately looked forward to his presence. The Huntsman lingered near the door before making his way towards her, face stormy with dark intent.

"Can I help you?" Regina asked in a clipped tone, sighing with annoyance as she glanced up at him in the mirror. The man had been pouty and vindictive since she'd no longer requested his services in her bedchamber and she had no tolerance for it. He should be happy that he no longer filled that role in her life. After all, she was imprisoning him. It was pathetic that he actually thought there was more to it.

Graham simply reached out, dropping two rolled up scrolls on her dressing table, "Just thought you'd like to know what has been happening right under your nose."

"What are you talking about?" She spat irritably, fingers curling tightly around the handle of her hairbrush.

"Look for yourself, Your majesty," He spoke through grit teeth and Regina could see the smug rage in his eyes as he tucked his hands behind his back and waited for her.

"You really are dramatic," She mumbled grabbing up the parchment and unrolling it, "Very good you drew a map of the grounds. Am I meant to be impressed?" She threw the maps back at him carelessly after a glance before turning back to her vanity and picking up her brush.

"They aren't mine. They're your shepherd's..." The Huntsman replied, tone dripping with smug amusement. "He drew up escape routes. And not just the obvious ones...He drew a map of the secret routes you had put in underground when you were worried the people might overthrow you."

Regina clenched her jaw and turned to snatch the scroll out of his hands to look it over once more, "...But that's impossible," She muttered, reading over the map and seeing that they were indeed the secret passageways. They were intricately detailed, almost as if they'd been traced.

"...Ahh, impossible to anyone without access to your bed chamber..." Graham mocked behind her as she stared at the maps, feeling her stomach flop, "Oh, that's right. He's practically been spending every night here...and didn't you two go over defense plans? Did he know where you kept the maps of your secret tunnel system?"

Regina glanced over at the desk where those maps remained. She'd always kept them in her bedchamber to ensure they were close to her and no one else would have access. Her throat constricted as realization hit her and she looked back to the mirror, meeting Graham's dark gaze, "Get out."

"Your Majesty, you don't think he was here merely to gain your trust in order to escape, do you?" He smirked then as he picked up the scroll that fell from her hands. She would've snapped his neck if she hadn't been in a trance from the aching feeling of being used once more. His footsteps faded as he left the room and all she could do was stare back at her reflection.

* * *

David laid awake in his dark chamber, staring at the blackness as he let out a deep breath. He hadn't gone to Regina's chamber for two nights, nor seen anything of her. She'd taken meals in her room since their argument, obviously brooding about something. His pride had kept him from going to her, but it hadn't been easy. Sleeping without her curled up against him when she didn't know she was felt foreign now.

He wasn't sure what was going to come of their relationship now or if she'd do away with him entirely. The lines had been blurred along the way and he knew they had affected one another. What would happen now? Would she continue to insist she was only using him? Would he be executed? The not knowing ate away at him, as did her absence.

Suddenly light seeped in through the cracked door, reminiscent of the first time she'd ever entered his chamber. He could barely make out her silhouette when the door shut again and it was nothing but darkness. She came quietly to his bed and it was then he saw the moonlight from the window reflect on her face. He saw the large, regret filled eyes that stared down at him and he instantly pulled the covers back for her.

She was cold when she crawled into his bed, wearing nothing but one of her thin nightgowns. Her hair was all of the way down, glistening beautifully as she laid down beside him. She hadn't reached out to touch him, not yet, she was simply lying on her back like he was. He let his own gaze travel back towards the ceiling again as they laid in silence for a few minutes.

"After I gave birth to my son, I was still sent to the King's chambers regularly..." She began, voice timid and shaky. It was only Regina beside him tonight, no traces of the Evil Queen. He could tell whatever it was had weighed on her mind for the last couple of days, wearing her down to the point where a dark room and a listening ear was enough to let herself be vulnerable. Anything to get the burden off of her chest. "He took his anger out on me for being ruined when we married...He degraded me...had me in anyway he liked...h-he said I deserved it because only whores give themselves away outside of marriage. He would...humiliate me..in ways..." Her voice wavered and he swallowed hard in preparation, "In ways I cannot explain...I don't know if it was giving birth to my son alone or the damage that Leopold did to my body but...I was never able to become pregnant again..."

The wheels started to turn and his earlier apology for coming inside of her replayed in his mind. He bit his lip, reaching out in the darkness and slipping one arm underneath her as the other pulled her up against him. She was stiff and emotion, he could hear her sniffling, but she didn't protest and eventually relaxed against him as he stayed silent and let her speak.

"When you...I just...it made me ashamed and I ran," She admitted, head tilted downwards as the side of it laid on his chest, "I wanted you to know that it had nothing to...to do with...you or..." She struggled with her words, prompting him to bring a hand down to her hair, threading his fingers through dark tresses.

"I know, it's okay, Regina," He murmured, wanting to take some of the pressure off of her. The fact that she'd come there at all tonight was monumental for her. To admit her feelings freely without being pushed or prodded, well, it wasn't something that happened often. If someone had told him he'd hold the Evil Queen in his arms and feel the need to protect her from her past, he'd have laughed in their face. Yet here they were, like a couple in a romantic relationship. Like he wasn't already promised to another.

She pressed her lips to his bare chest before she shifted her body on top of his and he looked up at her, seeing the serious intent in her expression. His hands rested on her thighs as she pulled her own nightgown up and over her body, being bare underneath. The moonlight shone over her pale skin, her breasts pushed together by her arms as she splayed her fingers over his chest and leaned on her hands, beginning to rock on his hips.

He let out an involuntary groan as he caressed his hands up her thighs and over her ass, grabbing handfuls and kneading the flesh. She was watching him intently, fingernails digging into his skin as she rocked harder, making him hard in record time. There was a desperation in her eyes that he didn't quite understand, like she wanted something but was holding herself back.

David rolled them over quickly, pinning her down to the bed as he pressed his lips over her neck and chest, trailing them down her stomach slowly. He heard her moan softly and her back arch from the bed as he kissed around her navel, feeling her ribs as he held her torso in place. Her legs spread instantly as his mouth reached the crease of her hip and thigh, darting his tongue out to leave a wet trail.

She was being gentle with her hands, carding her fingers through his hair as her body squirmed underneath him. A sweet whimper escaped her throat when his tongue dipped into her folds and he drew slow circles around her clit. His hands pushed her thighs apart wider as he covered her with his entire mouth, tongue suckling at her bundle of nerves. He worked her up, hearing her soft moans and heavy breathing, feeling the way she tugged at his hair and rolled her hips, effectively pushing and pulling him to her.

He traveled back over her body when she gave him a healthy tug upwards, knowing she wanted him inside of her. Loosening his breeches, he got himself out of them and ran his tip through her folds, spreading her arousal over them both. His gaze flickered back up to her face as he began to push himself inside of her and he saw her lips part and the longing in her eyes. It was then she surprised him, both of her hands gripping the sides of his face as she leaned up and pressed her lips against his.

It was his turn to groan into her mouth when her tongue slipped into his, gently massaging his in a way he'd taught her. The kiss was reminiscent of the first time she'd let him show her how to truly make love, except she'd initiated this time. She held his face to hers and kissed him hungrily, her legs slowly wrapping around his torso when he began to move.

His elbows held him up beside her shoulders as he moved slowly, pulling out slightly before rocking back into her. She would break the kiss every now and then to gasp or whimper, making him harder, spurning him on. He curled his hips as he thrust at the leisurely pace, making sure to reach the spot inside of her that made her cum so hard she shook. Her inner walls began to tense around him and he groaned at the tightness, prompting him to rock harder, thrust deeper.

"David..." She murmured his name against his lips, nails digging into the back of his neck in her telltale way that she was about to come. He pressed his forehead against hers, wrapping one arm underneath her to keep her up against him, feeling her hard nipples raking his skin. His other hand carded through her hair as he started to rut faster, harder, hearing her cry out as her heels dug into his lower back.

"Let me hear you, Regina," He murmured, looking down in her eyes, "Let me see you," He added when she closed her eyes to break the intimacy, forcing her to open them and look back at him.

They were glossy when she did, lips parted and breath panting. She clenched around him then, causing her to cry out loudly and shut her eyes as her back arched. Her hand pressed above her, flattening against the headboard as her entire body rolled underneath him as he spilled himself deeply inside of her. He groaned and buried his face in her neck, collapsing on her but keeping most of his weight on his elbows as not to crush her. Her body trembled underneath his and he pressed gentle kisses to her neck, murmuring soothing words near her ear.

When he lifted his head he looked down to see a tear spill from the corner of her eye and run down the side of her face into her hair, causing him to frown slightly, "Regina?"

She stared back at him for a moment before running her hand down the side of his arm, bringing it up in front of her. He watched in confusion as she stared at his hand and wrist, biting down on her bottom lip to keep it from quivering before waving her hand over it. The purple cusp imprinted in his skin began to glow brightly again before it dissolved completely.

Regina's eyes were sullen when his gaze caught hers again, her voice weak and wobbly when she spoke, "You're free to go."


	7. Chapter 7

David stared out into the dark cover of night as he stood on the castle steps where the guards had escorted him out. Regina had disappeared from underneath him as quickly as she had appeared that night, leaving nothing but purple smoke between him and the warm spot on the bed where she'd just writhed. He'd been caught off guard at first by her sudden sadness and the removal of the magic that kept him confined within the castle grounds, but soon came to his senses and attempted to follow her.

He'd rolled out of his bed and threw on his pants, not taking time to bother with a shirt before he bolted from his room and down the corridor to her own, "Regina!" He pounded on her bed chamber door a few solid times, thought it never opened, "Regina, just talk to me!" He yelled through the solid oak. No response. A few more pounds of his fist. Nothing.

He refused to relent, resting his forehead against the door and pounding his fist every couple of minutes. What had come over her? For a month now they'd been sleeping in the same bed every night. Waking up in each other's arms arms every morning. Sharing meals together every day. Now she'd suddenly released him and he wasn't prepared for it.

The incessant pounding on her door brought guards marching down the corridor towards him. They grabbed his arms as he began to try and fight them off, but he was outnumbered, "Regina!"

"Come on, prisoner," One guard said in a gruff voice as he and the other one began to drag a kicking and struggling David down the corridor, "You're to leave. Queen's orders."

 _Queen's orders._ Regina had instructed them to physically remove him from her home. His stomach had turned and he stopped struggling with the knowledge, allowing them to drag him down the main staircase. When they shoved him out of the front doors, freshly folded clothing, shoes, a satchel and his sword were awaiting him. He could only stand and stare at the items in shock for a few moments as he processed what had happened.

He should feel relieved. He was free to go find his fiancé and free her of the curse she was under. He was no longer a prisoner to the Queen and could move on with his life. Strangely, none of it seemed to matter to him as much as the fact that he may never seen Regina again. His future didn't seem as appealing if it didn't include her. It wasn't how he should feel, but his heart ached nonetheless.

David had managed to dress fully and put on his boots, tying his sword sheath around his hips for travel. He kept wondering what had prompted the Queen to send him away so suddenly. What had changed between them? Had she meant what she said when she told him he was just a play thing? It didn't feel that way when she came to him and apologized to him tonight. When she gave herself to him so fully with her body.

Perhaps it had all been a mind game she'd played on him. He tried every logical explanation to make it right in his mind but nothing seemed to work. All he knew was that his feelings for her ran deep and she'd just discarded him like he was nothing to her. How was he supposed to go back to his life before? After he'd gotten to know this woman and everything that made her who she was. After she'd let him in like he was sure she hadn't let anyone else. After he'd shared a connection with her that he hadn't felt before.

He let out a deep breath at the ache in his chest with each reluctant step he took down the castle steps. The feeling of someone watching him caused him to stop and turn slowly, looking up towards Regina's tower. She stood in one of the bay windows, too far away to see anything but her silhouette...but he knew her shape. He knew that body, knew her form better than she did. His gut twisted as he made it a point to stand stoically as he gazed up in her direction.

His jaw clenched as he silently willed her to come to him and bring him back in. To tell him she didn't mean it and wanted him to stay. Her silhouette remained still in the window of her tower for a few moments before she turned and walked away from it. Away from him. Bitterness deflated his heart when she turned her back on him, causing him to swallow hard at the knot that formed in his throat.

Just like that, the Queen that had blown into his life and stirred feelings within him he'd not yet felt was gone as quickly as she came. He knew her history with heartbreak. He knew she'd had love taken from her. He knew the horror and abuse she'd suffered at the hands of the king. He knew what life had dealt her and he refused to be another person that forced their own agenda on her life. He respected her...and her wishes. With that, he turned to leave the Queen's castle as reluctantly as he came.

* * *

**Two Weeks Later**

Regina sat up with a gasp in the middle of her bed, tears welling instantly in her eyes as she clutched her chest. She'd cried herself to sleep as she usually did, but the pain that gripped her could not be ignored by sleep, nor what it meant. A sob escaped her lips at the realization that David had found Snow. When he kissed her, Regina felt physical pain pierce through her heart like betrayal.

How had she ever been so foolish as to let him under her skin? Life had shown her that love was pain and weakness. She'd acted like such a fool, allowing herself to believe that he had been genuine. That anyone could love the monster she'd become. Like she deserved love after the crimes she'd committed. She was nothing. She belonged to no one and no one belonged to her. And she only had herself to blame.

She fell back into her pillows, staring up at the ceiling as tears spilled from the corners of her eyes and the coldness crept back into her heart. He was gone from her for good and she would never allow herself to let someone see her so vulnerable again. He'd gained the upper hand by simply being kind to her, by lying to her and saying she was beautiful and deserving. Her stomach rolled with the humiliation of how easy she'd been for him to play as he wormed his way into her trust with pillow talk and a gentle touch.

Sleep overcame her once more, emotional exhaustion tiring her physically as well. Tears dried on her cheeks and her eyes swelled slightly from crying. She slept for hours that turned into days. Each time she would wake she had no motivation to leave her bed. She shut down her bodily functions with magic, numbing her hunger so that she would not have to be seen by her staff. She simply stay curled in the middle of her cold bed, holding herself and waiting for the pain to end.

"Your Majesty," Graham's voice brought her from her sleepy haze, his hand on her shoulder trying to shake her awake. The urgent look in his eyes made her blink her own to get a clear vision of him, brows drawing down when she sensed his panic.

"What do you want?" She grit out, voice hoarse from not being used, "How did you even get in here?!"

"That's not important," He muttered, kneeling down beside of the bed, "We just got word from the nearby villages. The Princess' shepherd could not wake her with his kiss. The people are blaming you, saying you killed her. They're organizing a rebellion against the kingdom."

"So?" She ground out bitterly though she felt vindicated in the fact that her sleeping potion seemed to be a bit more potent than she'd intended. Good, Snow deserved to die. Her mind was still cloudy from sleep and she did not care what was going to happen. "What are a few idiotic peasants going to do to me?"

"It's not just a few, Regina," His voice was firm and he pulled her into a sitting position, "It's multiple villages, hundreds of angry people who have lost loved ones because of you. They're coming to kill you."

"I will never die at their hands," She pushed her hand against his chest, throwing him backwards with her magic for putting his hands on her in such a fashion, "Now get out!"

* * *

"David? David is that you?" His mother dropped the basket of garden vegetables she carried to open her arms as he strode towards them. He pulled her into a bear hug, tears welling in his own eyes at how much he'd missed her. It'd been ages since he'd been here and the farm was overgrown, yet the rest remained the same, especially her.

"Mother," He whispered into her hair, kissing the side of her head before pulling back to see her face.

She cupped his instantly with a watery smile, "My god, I can't believe it's you. Are you hurt? What has been done to you?!"

"I'm fine," He gave her a weak smile, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as he led her towards the small home that was just as he remembered. "I've been at the Queen's castle. I was traded as a prisoner between George and the Queen."

"So it was true," Ruth's brows furrowed as they sat down at the crude kitchen table, reaching out to clasp his hands with her own, "My poor boy. I've felt so helpless through this all. I heard so many stories about what had happened to you and to Snow. Your Snow, is she?"

"No, she's alive," He swallowed hard and glanced down at their intertwined hands, "She's still under the sleeping curse."

"You must go to her and give her true loves kiss!" Ruth started to stand abruptly but David held her hands to keep her sat down, "Son, what is it? What's going on?" She frowned and watched him intently, seeing the struggle in his blue eyes even though he wouldn't meet her gaze. His mother had a way of reading his eyes, just as he'd been able to read Regina's.

"I have already tried to wake Snow White with a kiss," He admitted, feeling his shoulders sag with the weight of what he'd done, "It did not work."

"That evil wench!" Ruth growled under her breath about the Queen. She'd only met Snow once but he knew his mother was unaware of everything that had happened and still thought Snow would make him happy. "I had heard she was evil but..."

"It isn't Regina's fault," David replied quietly, keeping his gaze fixed on their hands.

He saw Ruth turn her head towards him quietly from his peripheral vision, "David...look at me. What did you just say?"

"I said," He tilted his head to gaze at her, eyes glistening, "It is not the Queen's fault that my kiss did not work on Snow. I do not love Snow anymore. I don't know that I ever loved her the way I should have," He bit his bottom lip guiltily. It was not an honorable thing to do, falling in love with someone while you were promised to another, but he couldn't say he regretted it. However, his mother had always taught him to do the right thing and telling her this was hard.

"What are you saying?" His mother looked back at him with worried eyes, "Did the Queen spell you?" She whispered, running a hand up the side of his face and over his hair. He saw she was trying desperately to understand what was going on and he decided it was best if he were entirely honest with her.

"No," He looked back at her fully now, "My kiss didn't wake Snow because I'm in love with the Queen."

"Oh..." Ruth's face paled noticeably as she stared in shock, "David are you...are you sure? How could you...love someone like...like that?"

"Because I got to know her," He replied, his voice a bit firmer than the tone he'd usually speak to his mother in, "She has suffered much heartbreak at the hands of others...the Evil Queen is not her true nature. All she needs is love. If you know how to approach her she is an entirely different person. A person I care about, deeply."

"If that's true then why did you leave her?" She shook her head in confusion.

"She told me to go," He swallowed hard and glanced down, "She set me free so I could go find Snow and be with her. She even gave me her personal maps so I could find my way. And now that word has spread I couldn't wake Snow with true love's kiss, the people are angrier than ever. They think Regina has killed her and they're organizing to rebel and go after her. I can't let her get hurt, I-"

Ruth's worried eyes turned a bit more sympathetic as she reached up to cup the back of his neck to pull their foreheads together, "I can't say that I agree with this or condone it, but I can tell by the love in your eyes that I am not going to change your mind. So please just promise me that you'll keep yourself alive."

* * *

"Your Majesty we must go, now!" The Huntsman yelled at her as she watched the castle scramble from her tower balcony. Regina smiled bitterly at the maids and knights running with their belongings in tow, scattering like ants from the grounds in all directions. She tilted her chin up to gaze upon the horizon and took a deep breath as the wind rustled through the fabric of her gown and hair.

In the distance she saw the glow of torch lights spread across the land like wildfire, moving in closer at a slow but steady pace by the mob carrying them. Her skin prickled at the malicious energy she felt vibrating through the air tonight from the combination of the weather and the army of citizens coming for her. _She welcomed it._

"I will not give them the satisfaction of running," She replied, her voice cold and clipping.

"Damn it, woman," Graham strode up behind her and grabbed her arms, sending fury through her in an instant, "I'll haul you out if I have to."

She screamed viciously, flinging him off of her with magic and causing him to hit the stone wall behind with a thud, "Get out of my sight. Save yourself. Everyone else has," She motioned towards her castle staff and guards already fleeing into the forest, "You mean no more to me than they do."

Graham's eyes glittered angrily, "You deserve what's coming for you," He growled as he stood up slowly, dusting himself off with a defiant glare before turning to storm out through her chamber.

The dark clouds above her comforted her in a way as she silently watched the last of her servants leave, followed by Graham's broad figure stalking towards the forest. She smirked at the irony of her maids and knights evening abandoning her. Despite her sometimes harsh moods, she had provided shelter over their heads, food, ale and medicine. As long as they did what was asked of them they were treated well, but they ran given the first chance.

The silence of her castle and the land surrounding it could have been eerie had she not known she was the only evil lurking in the quiet darkness to be feared. She smiled to herself before taking another sip of her wine as she walked from the balcony into her room. _This was it. Tonight._

She had nothing to lose. Nothing to fear. Her own father hadn't even come back to check on her. Her lovers were gone. Her kingdom was lost to her. Her child was dead. She had gotten revenge on her enemy and there was nothing else to live for now. The wind blew through trees outside, making a low howling sound that made her eyes close momentarily. She was at peace with this.

Regina walked over to her dressing table, running her fingers lightly over her items before they settled on a small vial. Her end may be near but she refused to abandon her castle, to run from these people. She'd leave this world in her own way, with her dignity still intact. She tilted her head to the side as she realized the mob was getting close enough to the castle she could faintly hear their angry voices carried in by the wind.

Clenching the vial in her palm, she took one last assessing look over her form in the mirror. She was dressed in an all black gown with a matching corset. Her hair was halfway pulled back on the top, cascading down her shoulders. This was how she'd rest in eternity and it satisfied her. The layers of fabric on the dress hid just how deathly thin she was. Though she doubted when the angry mob was done with her body that she'd still look the same. What would it matter? She wouldn't be here to know.

She took one last glance around her bed chamber before slipping out the door and walking silently down the hall. Her footsteps echoed throughout the palace and shiver crept up her spine at just how empty and quiet it was. Symbolic of her life. Symbolic of her body. A shell that had been used to carry out evil and now had nothing left. Serving no purpose to anyone. Abandoned by all that had been inside of it.

Regina made her way outside onto the adjoining patio and down the steps to the back courtyard. Her heart began to beat a little faster, half in fear and half in excitement when she heard the mob getting closer, nearing the parameter of her castle land now. This was it. Soon her pain would be over. The struggle she'd known as her life would finally end.

A smile graced her lips when she saw her baby boy's headstone in the darkness, kneeling onto the wet grass beside of him, "Hello baby," She whispered, feeling comforted by being near him.

"I know that if the afterlife is real, I will not rest in the same place as you, sweet one," She said quietly, feeling a tear trickle down her cheek despite the smile, "But I still wanted to spend my last moments with you. I know Daddy is taking care of you wherever you are. I'm sorry I can't be with you...that I wasn't a better person. I'm sorry that you had to have me as your mother, but I do love you."

She swallowed a sob as she looked up towards the darkness, seeing their torch lights closing in as the mobs trudged their way through the castle fields towards her. The darkness made it a little more difficult to open the vial with shaking hands, but the moon provided enough illumination that she managed to get it. Her heart thumped dangerously hard in her chest as she pulled a long pin from the top of her hair and slipped it into the sleeping curse, seeing it light up with magic briefly.

Regina dropped the empty vial and brought the index finger of her left hand up, the needle in her right. She smiled through blurred vision as she brought the pin prick to the skin of her finger and began to push the sharp end into the top layer of her skin, gasping at the feeling of the magic beginning to interact with her.

"Regina, no!" A man's voice called out to her as her vision faded, followed by the pin being knocked out of her hands. Her head swam as the bit of sleeping potion she did received coursed her veins, making her lose consciousness quickly. The last thing she felt was a falling sensation, entirely unaware of the arms that caught her.


	8. Chapter 8

David was thankful that his childhood home was tucked away in a forest clearing, not easy to find if one hadn't been before. He knew the way there like the back of his hand, steering the old but faithful family horse down the trodden path with Regina in his lap. She was feather light, easy to hold with just one of his arms around her as the other gripped the reins.

He'd managed to get to her before the villagers had gotten close enough to see activity near the castle. She'd been in the middle of trying to put herself under the sleeping curse when he'd reached her, knocking the pin from her hands before she could inject the lethal amount. He scooped her up from the ground and ran as fast as he could to where he'd left his mare near the forest edge on the back side of the castle, mounting it and disappearing the way he'd came.

The soft glow of candle lights came into his view from the small farmhouse he approached and he took a deep breath at the fact his mother was still awake. He'd need her help caring for Regina, but he felt sure she wasn't comfortable housing the Evil Queen. Not only that, hiding her here would put his mother in danger if anyone found out and he hated to put her in that position, but they had no where else to go.

He pulled the horse to a stop outside his home and slid from the saddle with Regina against him. Her head rested against his chest when he cradled her and carried her towards the door. When he looked up, Ruth was already standing in the doorway expectantly, studying the woman in his arms.

"Is she..?" Ruth questioned softly and David nodded.

"She's alive she just...she was trying to put herself under the sleeping curse when I found her," He swallowed hard as he carried her through the threshold.

"Herself?!" His mother repeated incredulously as she opened the door to his old bedroom, having put fresh bedding in preparation for his return. There were only three rooms total: the main living area with a kitchen, table and places to sit, and the two bedrooms. It was unlike anything Regina was accustomed to, but at least he could keep her safe here.

"She's not well, mother," He explained, laying her body down gently on the bed, "Given time she may tell you about it, if she wakes up," He swallowed hard, "But it's not my place to tell you."

He felt Ruth's demeanor soften slightly as they both looked at the Queen. She had dark makeup streaks down her porcelain face and her cheekbones were especially sharp from how thin she was. Her body looked so small in the bed and for once he realized how petite she was. When she was awake and in full Evil Queen attire, she was such a force that you could hardly tell she was tiny.

"We need to get her into something more comfortable," Ruth nodded as she glanced at the corset that sucked Regina's waist in an unbelievably tight circumference as she came over to begin untying it.

"Thank you for letting me bring her here," He replied as he slipped Regina's heeled boots from her feet, glancing up at his mother who nodded understandingly, "She wouldn't be safe anywhere else."

Ruth didn't look his way, instead watching Regina take in a deep breath when she managed to get the corset undone, "She's skin and bones..."

"I know," David swallowed hard, worried she wouldn't be healthy enough to sustain however long this curse would keep her asleep.

"Will she wake?" His mother seemed to read his mind.

"I think so...She hadn't managed to prick her finger fully," He smiled weakly, running a hand over her dark hair, "I just hope it's sooner rather than later."

Ruth watched him closely, seeing his tender touch, "I'll go get a nightgown for her."

David watched Regina's chest rise and fall slowly as he contemplated what he should do. His heart pounded as he considered trying to kiss her and seeing if true love's kiss would wake her. He was anxious to know if her feelings were reciprocated. It felt wrong to kiss her while she was unconscious and find out how she felt about him without her consent. The dark circles under her eyes caught his attention as he sat beside her, stroking her hair back from her face. He wondered when the last time she had a full night's sleep was and decided to let her rest until sunrise.

"It's not the fine material she's probably used to but," Ruth came back in with a cotton nightgown and David smiled briefly.

"It'll be fine, thanks Mother," He stood and took it from her.

Ruth studied the Queen once more with a reluctant gaze, "If you need anything, let me know," She glanced at David before turning to go out. He could tell his mother still had some reservations about Regina, but who wouldn't? The tales they told in the nearby villages were vicious, some of them fabricated and some of them true. He'd seen Regina commit evil and he'd been on the receiving end of it. Though he'd also witnessed glimpses of her before life had taken it's toll and he knew that girl was still inside of her.

"Thanks, Mother. Goodnight."

* * *

Regina's senses came back to her when she felt soft lips on hers, a bit of stubble tickling her chin, a wave of euphoria sweep through her and her surroundings. Her eyes popped open to see blue ones staring down at her and she almost panicked before they focused in and she realized who it was. _The goddamn shepherd had woken her up._

"Oh my god," She heard him mumble before giving her a sweet smile, though her mind was racing too much for her to focus on him. She scrambled into a sitting position and found her back against the headboard, glancing around quickly to see walls that looked to be made out of log and simple decorations in a small but tidy room. _Where in the hell was she?_

"Hey, hey, it's okay," David reached for her arm, probably seeing the panic on her face.

"Where am I?" She snarled at him and flinched from his touch, "What did you do to me?!" Her rage grew, not liking the feeling of being so confused and out of sorts. _How dare her interfere with her eternal sleep?!_

"We're at my mother's farmhouse, it's the only safe place for us right now," He looked at her calmly, keeping his hands in his lap as he set on the edge of the bed, "I got to you before the villagers did."

"Why did you bother?" She grit through her teeth, crossing her arms over her chest, "That was my decision to make. I wanted to go out on my terms. And then here you come, Prince Charming, on his white horse-"

"Actually, the horse was brown," He interjected with a smirk and her eyes grew wide at the fact he found this humorous. _Goddamn him and his perfect smile and square jaw and twinkling eyes._

"You find this funny?! You kidnapped me!"

"I saved your life."

"I didn't want my life saved!" She snapped back at him with a determined frown, "There was a reason I was injecting almost double the regular amount of that curse!"

"Just like there's a reason my kiss woke you up," He leveled with her, locking her gaze into his icy blue one.

She forced a scoff, though butterflies stirred in her stomach, "Yeah maybe 'cause I didn't get a chance to administer a full dose."

"I don't understand you," He frowned deeply in return and she cursed herself for the flicker of hurt she saw on his beautiful features, "My kiss broke your curse so I know my feelings for you are reciprocated. So why did you make me leave? Why did you try to take your own life?"

"You know why I made you leave," She felt her eyes welling with tears, her stomach coiling with anxiety. _Did he just admit that he had feelings for her?_ "How did you even get away? Graham said villagers were coming from all directions for the castle. Those peasants probably destroyed everything," She shivered at the thought of their measly hands on her belongings.

"The maps you gave me, with the secret passage ways on them," David let out a breath of frustration. "I took the entry behind the castle so they couldn't see me."

"The maps I gave you?" She raised an eyebrow incredulously, "How dare you?! You bastard!" She shoved him by the chest, losing her temper and beginning to pummel her weak fists against it. _Did he think she was stupid?!_

"What in the hell?!" David caught her wrists, facing her in the bed now as she stood on her knees trying to get to him, "Yes the ones you gave me! The ones in the satchel that waited outside for me!"

"I didn't give you those, Graham came to be that night and said he-" She stopped quickly, anger burning inside of her with the realization they'd both been played, "Graham said he found those in your room, that you'd drawn them from the maps in my chamber."

"Regina, there were many times I was in your bed chamber, but none of them were to draw," He raised an eyebrow back at her, still holding her wrists in a firm grip.

"So you're saying you didn't bed me just to gain my trust?" She challenged him, fury vibrating within her now. She didn't know who was telling the truth and who was lying. She didn't know where she was or what was going to happen to her.

"At first, yes," He admitted and her stomach sank though she knew she had no right to feel betrayed. She was using him just as much as he did her in the beginning and she had been keeping him prisoner, after all. "But after that night I held you after your nightmare...everything changed."

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" She laughed bitterly, jerking her hands out of his grasp and sitting down with her legs folded under her, "How do I know you're not working with Snow and the villagers to get me defenseless and execute me?"

She could tell he started to snap back at her but pressed his lips into a firm line. She'd gotten under his skin with that dig but he still tried to remain calm with her, probably because he knew of her past. _He was too good for her._ "Regina, I left the castle and traveled to Snow. You made me leave and I had a duty to try and wake my fiancé, but when I got there.." He glanced down and shook his head, "My kiss didn't work on her. It worked on you, though. How much more proof do you need?"

"I just think you're confused. You were away from her and-"

"Regina?" He spoke up firmly, causing her to lift her head and stop her rambling.

"What?" She frowned.

"Shut up," He reached out and gripped the back of her neck, pulling her to him for a deep, slow kiss. She found herself melting into it, realizing how much she'd missed him and it'd only been a couple of weeks. He broke the kiss and pressed their foreheads together, nuzzling his nose with hers, "I love you...and I know you need me to prove it and I understand why...just don't try to hurt yourself again. Okay?"

She swallowed at the knot that formed in her throat, eyes flickering back and forth from his eyes and the bed below them. His gaze was so piercing it felt like he could see inside of her heart and the vulnerability she felt was making it pound thunderously in her chest. He didn't mean it, he couldn't... "O-okay."

He smiled and kissed her forehead before he sat back up straight, leaving her flushing furiously and looking anywhere but at him. She felt exposed and anxious about it all, not completely convinced he was in his right mind about saving her. Her temper took over again at how weak she felt, causing her to deflect and snap about the first thing she thought of, "What the hell am I wearing?!"

"One of my mother's old nightgowns," He smirked and she glowered back at him for finding humor in it, "You'd better be careful, she's not quite sure about you yet."

For some reason the thought of meeting his mother sent fear through her and her eyes widened briefly at the mention of it. The woman had to of heard about the things she'd done and now she was sleeping with her son? Regina would've never let her own son end up with somebody like herself.

"Well that's good because I'm not sure of her yet," Regina tried to reply with sarcasm, shifting her gaze to fidget nervously with the fabric of her nightgown. She felt him smile at her knowingly without even having to glance up and she cursed how well he could read her. "So what are you going to do? Just hide me out here forever?"

"No, but we are going to stay here for a while until you get healthy again," He reached a hand up and brushed his thumb over her temple, fingers snaking into her hair, "And keep you out of harms way while the rebellion is happening. Then we can figure out what we do next."

"We? I never agreed to-"

"Get dressed for breakfast," He cut in with a grin, standing from the bed and nodding towards a folded dress at the foot of the bed. _Great, another piece from the farm widow's wardrobe._

* * *

David looked up quickly when he saw Regina step out of the bedroom and into the main part of the house. She was wearing a light blue dress that was simple in fashion but hugged her waist and her slender arms magnificently, flaring out at her hips. Her hair was braided near her temples, the top half of it pulled back from her face that was free of makeup. His heart beat faster at how young she looked. How young she really was.

"Good morning, child," Ruth turned from the stove and nodded at her, eyes glancing over her in inspection. He saw Regina catch the obvious once over and she tilted her chin up in defiance, prepared to make a snappy come back. Her body language always changed so abruptly when she put on her Evil Queen armor and he prayed she didn't say anything to offensive.

"It's 'Your-" Regina began to berate her before her eyes flickered over at David and her shoulders softened. He knew it couldn't be easy to simply turn the Evil Queen off after years of being her, but he knew the real Regina was still in there. He had hope that she would learn to trust again and feel she could be herself around the both of them. "Good morning."

"Regina this is my mother, Ruth," David began the introduction, "Mom, this is Regina."

"Nice to meet you, Your Majesty," Ruth began to bow and he groaned internally at that the two women in his life would inevitably have it out.

"That's not necessary," Regina spoke through clenched teeth and a forced smile, "Regina is fine. Lovely to meet you. David told me nothing about you."

His eyes widened and he lifted his hands innocently when Ruth threw him an accusatory glare. This was going to be a long stay...even if they left tomorrow. "Regina why don't you come sit and have some breakfast?" He suggested, seeing the women staring each other down before Regina relented and turned to walk his way.

"Mother I was thinking I'd get started on the fields today so we can get a crop planted before it's too late in the season," He began, putting a plate in front of Regina casually. He knew when she was torqued up that the best thing to do was pretend not to notice and give her space to cool down. He filled her plate with biscuits and gravy, giving her more than he knew she'd eat. "Then I'll work on the sheep in the evenings when it's too dark for the rest."

"Nonsense, one thing a day will be enough," Ruth turned with a smile for him as she took her place across from he and Regina, "I don't want you wearing yourself down. Besides, Regina can help me in the garden."

"Pardon me?" Regina's fork clanged against the china as she looked up from her plate quickly.

"We'll...discuss it later," David glanced at his mother firmly, knowing she was prodding Regina to feel her out.

"Oh, I forgot she's royalty. They wouldn't know how to fend for themselves if they had to."

* * *

Regina paced the inside of the farmhouse, feeling as if she may go stir crazy at any moment. The past week had been tense and she was so out of her element that it was almost funny. _Well, it was funny to Ruth and David._ She rolled her eyes at the thought of them. She'd avoided the woman at all costs and managed to keep David at arms length, despite sharing a bed with him. They were a genuine family and she didn't know how to act or be a part of it, so being reclusive felt natural.

Ruth had given up on trying to get Regina to help at anything and she was sure the woman thought she was lazy. To be truthful, having nothing to occupy her mind and hands made her want to climb the walls, but the work Ruth was doing Regina had no knowledge in. She'd look like a fool in front of the woman and she refused to give her that kind of satisfaction. Besides, Cora had never allowed her to cook or garden, saying it was unbecoming of a true lady.

David spent his days from sun up to sundown in the fields plowing or herding the sheep and she hated how easily he fell back into his lifestyle. Everything felt foreign to her here. There was nothing for her to destroy, nothing for her to be angry and brood over. No one for her to terrorize. Her life had been nothing but darkness for the last how many years and now she felt like a fish out of water living with honest, loving people. She didn't deserve this.

She walked towards the window and looked out towards the garden, seeing Ruth on her knees digging up vegetables. A huff escaped her lips as she crossed her arms and cursed inwardly at the guilt she felt. Since when did she care when an old farming peasant woman was working hard while she did nothing? Wasn't that one of the perks of being Queen? Her eyes rolled though her ego deflated when she realized she probably couldn't consider herself a queen anymore. Her castle was most likely destroyed and the people were rebelling against her reign.

Irritation bubbled within her and soon she found herself stomping out of the farmhouse and towards the garden. Ruth looked up somewhat surprised, but she kept trudging forward, stopping with her hands on her hips, "Are you going to show me how to do this or what?"

"Do what, Your Majesty?" Ruth wiped sweat from her brow with the back of her hand and Regina had to stop herself from snapping.

"Gardening, whatever," She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, "I'm losing my mind just pacing your cabin. Give me something to do. I'm ready now."

"You were never taught how to garden? Didn't you read of it?" Ruth inquired, nodding for Regina to kneel down across from her on the other side of the row.

"No," Regina let out a breath, glancing up at the woman, "My mother had me on a very tight curriculum of etiquette and history classes. I was groomed very early to become Queen. She wouldn't allow me to cook or bake or garden, she said only commoners did that."

"Well," Ruth looked back at her with a slightly different expression, "I guess she's right," She chuckled and shrugged, bringing a hint of a smile to Regina's face, "Was that what you wanted? To be Queen?"

"No," She replied quietly, glancing down to the plant in front of her sprouting from the ground. Such a simple task and she did not know how to do it. She destroyed living things, she didn't grow them. She glanced up at Ruth to see her looking at her with a bit more understanding, prompting her to open her mouth in an attempt to give her an explanation. Regina couldn't go there, though. Not yet. Everything was too fragile. She'd just met this woman. She wasn't a sharer. So she simply shut her mouth again and gave a weak smile and an apologetic shrug.

Ruth only smiled back warmly and nodded once, the sentiment obvious in her features. She knew her son was very protective of Regina's privacy and there was a history there that would be told only when she was ready. Sensing her vulnerability, she decided to take the spotlight off of her and pointed to the row of plants in between them, drawing the attention back to the task at hand.

"I'm just pulling up carrots. Grab them by the stem, pull and twist gently to remove them," She instructed, reaching down to demonstrate as Regina watched closely.

Regina took a deep breath, gripping a carrot stem and giving it a tug, "Goddamn it! See, I'm not good at this," She cursed when she broke the stem off, coming up with nothing but a handful of greenery. Her mouth dropped when Ruth let out a laugh, not knowing how to respond to the older woman.

"You simply pulled too hard, girl," Ruth smiled a little more genuinely at the Queen, seeing the impatience and frustration she had at herself. She sensed the woman was probably harder on herself than anyone else and it made it a little easier to understand her quick temper, "Try it again. Grab the base of the stems, twist a little and gently pull."

Regina bit her bottom lip determinedly, reaching down for the next one. She hated making mistakes, Cora would've tortured her for less, but Ruth had somewhat of a calming quality about her and didn't seem to mind, "Twist, pull gently," She mumbled the steps and did as she was told, "I did it," A stupid grin appeared on her face for the first time in weeks when the vegetable came out of the ground, holding up the dirty carrot in front of her. Such a silly, simple thing, but it made her feel accomplished. Like maybe she'd one day be able to live a normal life that she always wanted and be content.

Ruth chuckled again and quirked a brow, "Next we'll start on digging the potatoes."

* * *

"I don't think my nails will ever be the same," Regina huffed when she came into their bedroom and he couldn't help but grin at how natural it was all becoming to share a room with her. Ruth had help her set up the wash tub behind the curtain in the main room for a bath after she'd helped in the garden all day. He had worried she'd overdone it, but she was looking healthier each day. She'd gained some weight thanks to his mother's cooking and he knew being outdoors would do her more good than harm.

"What made you decide to garden?" He asked curiously, leaning up against the headboard on his pillows as he watched her begin to towel her hair dry. She was slowly warming up to being here and it was showing. He noticed the way she kept holding herself back from being at ease and knew she probably felt like she didn't belong. A part of him wanted to help her, but he also knew if she sensed she was being coerced then she'd resist it even more.

"I was bored," She replied with a shrug of her shoulders as she hung her towel on the hook. He could see the shape of her hips through the thin material of the nightgown and it had him stirring in his pants. It had been so long. "Plus, your mother is allowing me to stay here, I should help out."

"Is the Queen growing a conscious?" He teased playfully, watching her shoot him a glare before smiling slightly.

"You've been getting some sun," Regina changed the subject, eyes glancing over his chest and shoulders. He knew she liked those parts of him, he'd seen her eyes linger there before.

"You have, too," He smiled as he pulled back the covers for her, seeing the way her skin was a hint browner.

"My mother would hate that," Regina rolled her eyes as she climbed into her side of the bed, sitting back against the headboard as she inspected her arms, "She always said I was too dark skinned, that I got it from my father's side and it made me look like the help. If she caught me outside without a sunhat on she'd lock me up for a week."

"Is she still alive?" David asked, taking the opportunity to ask a few questions. She'd been closed off lately, keeping her distance from him, but today she was in a seemingly good mood. He was relieved that she and his mother had seemed to call it a truce and coexist peacefully, but he could tell Regina did not know how to interact with a maternal figure.

"She's in a different realm," She replied, not looking at him as she scooted down in the bed. "I forced her there. She's dead to me, at least."

"Well," He scooted down in the bed beside of her, propping himself up with his elbow. Regina didn't seem to be in the mood to talk about her past and he didn't want her to feel pushed or to ruin her mood. "I love your tan skin," He smiled genuinely and pressed his lips to her shoulder. They lingered there for a few moments, stubble grazing her arm, giving her goosebumps.

"Are you trying to fuck me with your mother on the other side of the wall?" She raised an eyebrow up at him in a scolding whisper, though he saw the humor in her eyes.

"Mhm," He smiled against her skin as he pressed another kiss to her chest, slowly trailing them down, "That is if you can keep quiet."

Regina's stomach quickened at the devious intent in his blue eyes as he shifted himself on-top of her, starting to ruck up her nightgown under the covers. A grin appeared on her face and she decided to give into a little fun. The thrill of being caught or heard always added a layer of excitement and it had been over a week since they'd had sex. "You're pretty sure of yourself aren't you?"

"Yes," He pushed her nightgown up around her waist, pulling it off when she lifted up for him. She was completely bare underneath and he groaned quietly as he leaned down to place wet, slow kisses over her stomach. The muscles quivered underneath her lips and it made him harder to see her body's reaction to him.

Regina ran her hands up his upper arms that had become more muscular from the work he'd been doing, his shoulders sun-kissed and wide. Her hips squirmed for attention on their own accord and she felt him grin against her skin as he kissed lower and lower, "Smug bastard," She whispered with a hiss and he only chuckled quietly in reply.

" _Mmm_ , I've wanted to taste you all day," David murmured against her thigh before swiping his tongue over her fold, purposely not dipping into it yet. He grinned and glanced up when he heard her whimper of disappointment. _Impatient, needy little royal._

"Need I remind you that I am the Evil Queen and I could snap your neck at any given moment?" She threatened, hands running into his hair to grip it. He was toying with her and the anticipation was quickly frustrating her.

"So impatient," He smirked before dipping his tongue into her wet center, drawing it up to the bundle of nerves that made her hips jerk and her breath catch, _"Mmmm."_

Regina let her head fall back as he began to move his tongue over her clit in earnest, digging her nails into his scalp. She began rolling her hips with his movements, feeling the clenching heat build rapidly in her belly. She had to stifle a moan when he groaned against her, sending delicious vibrations to her core.

" _Fuck,_ " She hissed when he grabbed her hips and tilted her more up to his mouth, her legs falling open wider. His tongue worked in quick licks over her clit and she ground herself harder for more friction. It was dark in the room but she managed to prop herself up on her elbows to watch him, curling her hips upwards. His eyes met hers as he covered her with his mouth, locking their gazes. Her own lips were parted and she was panting at this point, trying to keep the moans and whimpers quiet.

David had the most mischievous glint in his eyes that made her heart thump furiously in her chest. She'd experimented quite a bit sexually, but there was something almost erotic about simply looking into his eyes as he gave her pleasure. It made heat coil rapidly, each roll of her hips bringing her closer and closer to the edge as his tongue stroked her throbbing sex.

Without warning he sucked down firmly on the bundle of nerves, causing her to reach her peak with a loud cry that escaped her throat before she could stop it. Her back arched from the bed for a long few seconds before she collapsed back down, a panting mess.

"I thought you said you could be quiet?" David crawled back up her body, grinning from ear to ear at the heavy lidded eyes and flushed cheeks he saw. He reached down between them to work his boxer shorts off and chuckled as she shook her head slightly.

"Fuck you," She smirked breathlessly up at him, feeling boneless as the tremors from her orgasm still traveled down her thighs.

"I'm going to," He grinned, pressing his tip against her slit with pressure that made them both moan softly. "And this time I'll make you cum so hard you can't scream."

She shivered with anticipation as she ran her hands down to his ass, digging her nails in and pulling him closer to her. He pushed inside of her easily with how wet she was and they both tensed at how perfect it felt. They fit like they were made for one another, bodies pressing together and complimenting each other in every way.

"So perfect," He murmured into her neck as he sank into her deeply, reveling in how wet and tight and warm she felt. They began to move instantly, both primed and knowing exactly what they wanted. It wasn't raw sex on her dining hall table; it was quieter, closer, not as loud but as equally arousing. She turned her head to the side to press her lips to his neck and ear, sucking down on his ear lobe as she pulled him deeper, moaning out loud at the feeling.

All of her stress and anxiety over what was happening between them and what would happen to her faded to the back of her mind. They panted and licked and stroked, rolling hips and whimpering dirty things to one another, the pace increasing as they both rapidly approached orgasm. Regina clenched suddenly, mouth open in an almost silent, gasping cry into his neck to muffle the sound. David cursed under his breath at how hard she gripped his cock, holding her thighs up against her as he pumped a few more times before finishing deep inside her.

"You did better that time," David lifted his head breathlessly, looking down at her with a grin, "...But breakfast still might be a little awkward."


	9. Chapter 9

" _The-the_..." Regina choked on a moan as she held onto his back with trembling hands, feeling his muscles working under her touch. It was hot in the bedroom, the sun beginning to shine through the window and heating the farmhouse. Their bodies were covered in a sheen of sweat and sex, muscles aching and trembling from overuse. What started out as a playful game of challenging the other to stay quiet had turned into hours of being wrapped up in one another. It was a different kind of night for them, something new and dangerous for Regina. It wasn't just raw fucking anymore. There was sex and then there was being held, talking and sharing bits and pieces of themselves, loving caresses that turned into another round.

"The what?" He whispered breathlessly, lifting his lips from her neck where they had been nibbling her skin deliciously. His brows furrowed in concern for a moment and he stilled his movements inside of her, "Are you okay? Did I hurt you?"

There it was. The concern in his voice. The gentle and worried way he was looking at her. He immediately loosened his grip on her hips as if he feared that was what hurt her, but even that was firm yet gentle. Nothing like rough, bruising grips she'd suffered before. He was so careful with her, even when they were being reckless. The way he touched her was unlike anyone she'd been with. Leopold's touch was violent. Graham's touch was possessive. David's touch was for her.

"The suns coming up," She replied breathlessly with a half smirk up at him at the fact they'd been at it most of the night. Her thighs shook as they clamped his torso, fingers trembling against his back, remnants of her previous orgasms. Her body was highly sensitive from hours of stimulation, every nerve ending felt like it was on fire and numb at the same time. The pleasure was so intense it border-lined painful at times, but a sweet, aching kind of pain.

"Oh." Blue eyes crinkled in a smile and a soft chuckle under his breath, showing off beautifully straight teeth. Her heart constricted in a way it hadn't in years and her hand instinctively came to cup the back of his neck, thumb stroking over his sharp, stubbled jawline. She lifted her head slightly, capturing his lips in a deep kiss that beckoned him to continue, his hardened member still thick and buried deeply inside of her.

" _Mmm_ ," She moaned into his mouth when he lifted his hips just slightly, sinking back into her in a rocking rhythm. Her legs tensed around his torso as he sheathed himself with her, lifting her own hips up to pull him deeper. " _Yes_ ," She hissed as he pulled his length out before taking her more rapidly, the head of his cock hitting the spot inside of her that had them both drenched in her cum.

"You're so wet, Regina," He whispered against her lips, pressing his forehead to hers. The eye contact made her feel vulnerable but she gave it to him, heart beating wildly in her chest as her hands clung to his back, moving her body underneath his, giving herself to him fully. "You feel so perfect. Like we were made for one another," He added in breathless words, pumping into her steadily.

" _Uhnnh_ ," She let out another moan and clamped her eyes shut when she felt the burning tingle begin in her abdomen, "Keep going, like that," She demanded in an almost pleading tone, her hand coming up to grip the back of his hair. He was unbelievably hard for as many times as they'd went that night, stretching her in a delicious way that wouldn't let her last long.

"Fuck," David mumbled, watching her intensely when she opened her eyes to piercing blue. He pulled her arms from his back, threading his fingers through her own and clasping them as he pinned her arms above her head. "Cum for me, Regina. I want to watch you while I feel you cum on me."

Regina bit her lip hard to stifle a moan, pressing her chest up against his as she arched her back from the bed. Her hard nipples grazed his skin deliciously, making the coiling in her stomach spark it's rapid ascent. A whimper escaped her as he rocked into her with firmer, deeper thrusts, barely pulling out, hitting her with deliberate strokes.

She'd never let a man pin her down before. Willingly. After Leopold raping her in countless ways she couldn't stand the feeling, would snap a man's neck for trying it. With David she felt safe and trusting, his clasping of her hand was not to refrain her but to hold her while he made love to her. The intimacy was almost overbearing, making her body and mind respond to him in a way it hadn't before.

"I'm-" She panted now, mouth open in a silent moan as her head fell back and she gazed up at him. Her body began to tense, legs clamping his waist tighter, pulling him deeper, hands squeezing his. They never broke eye contact and the feeling of it was a mixture of erotic and intimate, like he was seeing her in a way no one else had. He held so much love in his eyes as he watched her, was so in sync with her body and emotions. "...I'm going to," She whispered breathlessly, prompting him to bring one hand down and slip it under her lower back.

"Let go, Regina," He murmured, pressing his forehead to hers as his hand lifted her hips up tightly to his, "Show me..." His words had double meaning, she could see it in his eyes. She had not spoken of her reciprocated feelings for him and he'd been patient with her, but he was asking for a sign. Something to let him know it was more for her, too.

Pleasure hit her suddenly and her muscles clenched his cock almost violently, her back arching from the bed. A cry escaped her as she came, eyes still locked with his, chests pressed together for a few long seconds during the climax. He groaned under his breath as he watched her unravel, biting his bottom lip as her muscles contracted around him. Her gush of pleasure nearly forced him out of her, soaking his abdomen thoroughly before he pushed back inside of her deeply.

"Take it for me," He groaned as her body writhed underneath his, the comedown from her orgasm leaving her insanely oversensitive. Her hips jerked on their own accord as he thrust back in her clenched sex, the tightness of it bringing him his own release deep within her. "I'm sorry," He whispered, pressing his lips to her shoulder as he half collapsed on her, keeping himself from crushing her by resting on his elbows on the bed.

"For what?" She asked breathlessly, world still spinning and tremors shooting through her body. His member remained snugly inside of her as he lifted his head to her question.

He studied her expression for a moment before a half sheepish smile pulled at the corners of his mouth, "I didn't want to hurt you."

"You didn't," She bit down on her bottom lip, reaching up in an unusually affectionate gesture for her and running a hand through his hair slowly. He'd never intentionally hurt her, she knew that. He didn't have it in him. He was nothing like the men before him. Nothing like the people in her life who had hurt her before. Her lips parted and her voice sounded before she even knew what she was trying to say, "I-" She stopped abruptly at the realization, looking up at him with a startled expression. She loved him. She had let herself truly fall for him. He now had the power to destroy her completely and it terrified her.

He waited patiently before bringing his hand up, rubbing his thumb over her furrowed brow affectionately, "I know," He replied reassuringly, giving her a warm smile. He knew what she was thinking, knew she was panicking. It was enough for him that she tried, no insecurity or impatience prompting him to push her into admitting anything. Just quiet confidence and understanding of her, giving her what she needed in the moment by taking the pressure off of her.

She loved him. The fiancé of her enemy. A genuine, honest man who she'd held captive. Her eyes glossed with unshed tears as she stared up at him with the realization, swallowing hard at the knot forming in her throat. She loved him. A man she could never truly be with. A man she didn't deserve. She loved him. And this was going to end badly. Love is weakness, after all.

* * *

"Good morning," David's mother raised a playful eyebrow as she turned from the stove when he came into the main part of the cabin. "You're late to rise this morning."

"Just because you get up with the birds doesn't mean we all do," He rolled his eyes in good humor as he came over to pour himself a mug of tea, grabbing one of the speckled mugs from the cupboard. He noticed the sun beaming through the windows as he studied the sky outside, determining what work he should start on today. It looked clear, no signs of rain, which meant an opportunity to get the field work done as opposed to working in the barn.

"I reckon you'll need a couple cups to wake you up today," Ruth threw a smirk in the direction of her son and he instantly blanched, knowing the double meaning behind her words.

"Mother-"

"Up rather late, weren't you?" She wagged a teasing brow before turning back to her dishes in the wash basin, smug grin on her face.

He took a deep breath, hesitating on how to reply, which only made him look more guilty. They hadn't intended to go at it the way they did the night before, but Regina was in a good mood and the challenge to keep quiet kept them both going. It had turned into a game, who could make the other cum the hardest in a playful attempt to watch them have to keep quiet. He wasn't certain how many times, but there were a few instances that Regina slipped up and cried out. That only made her more determined to get David to do the same.

When he glanced at his mother she was looking his way again with a more serious expression, "You must be careful, son. I know you have feelings for this one that I don't understand...I'm beginning to, but I don't fully understand it yet...But to everyone else she is still considered the Evil Queen. She's a wanted woman."

"Don't you think I know that?" He frowned and let out a breath of frustration as he rubbed his temples, "If people only knew what she'd been through, what made her that way..."

Ruth nodded slowly as she watched him, "I know there is more to her than I know...but David you must not seal your fate with hers...If you got her with child-"

"You don't have to worry about that," He replied tersely, finding the conversation a stressor he did not want to deal with before he even had a mug of coffee. It was a rude awakening after spending hours cocooned in his own little world with Regina under the covers.

"Oh I know you're both adults and that you're most likely very careful but don't think I can't remember how you get caught up in certain moments," Ruth continued to chide, eliciting a groan from David as he sat down at the table, "-why, how do you think we ended up with you?"

"It's not a concern because she can't have children, Mother," He replied in a low, warning tone, flashing his eyes up at her as to not ask anymore questions, "Now please don't mention that again. If she knew I told-"

Ruth's expression had softened instantly and she gave a gentle nod while he was mid -sentence, "Say no more, son."

Only a few moments later Regina slipped out of the bedroom, wearing a worn pair of riding pants and a white linen shirt, accented with a brown vest. Her hair was pulled to the side and in a long, loose braid that laid over her shoulders. Her face was void of makeup, her entire look so unlike what he'd become accustomed to while at her palace. Regardless of the difference, she still took his breath away in her natural state.

"Good morning," He smiled warmly at her, noticing her half smile back at him before lifting her chin and walking into the dining room. She seemed to waiver between scared fawn and evil sorceress so often here, something about being around them and out of her element threatening her vulnerable side to come out. He could tell she wanted to give in to the warmth and emotion that he knew resided within her, but life experience had taught her to keep her guard up with others. Even his mother knew when Regina was snapping at them or being stand-offish that it was not to be taken personally. It was simply the only way she knew how to deal with her feelings.

"Why didn't you wake me?" She asked, coming over to take her seat beside of him, avoiding looking directly at him or his mother.

"We figured you needed the rest," Ruth butted in with a smirk as Regina's cheeks flushed furiously, "Breakfast is almost ready. I made bacon and eggs and biscuits. From the sounds of it I knew you kids would need the strength."

David choked on his coffee, setting his mug down abruptly and looking at Regina whose eyes were bulging and face was bright red, "Mother-" He began to warn, though she paid him no mind as she turned back to the cast iron stove and continued to fry up their sustenance.

Regina cleared her throat as she straightened the utensils on the table in front of her, "I apologize, Ruth...It appeared I had a few nightmares last night," She began to try to explain and David's eyebrows rose in surprise. Since when did the Evil Queen apologize for anything? He used to fuck her on the dining hall table with guards posted outside the door while she screamed for the entire castle to hear.

"Oh dear, I'm sorry," Ruth goaded her with a grin, turning to place the skillet in the middle of the table before beginning to serve them, "From what I heard it seems they lasted most of the night," She added and David couldn't help but exhale a pent up breath with a chuckle.

"Ow!" His eyes widened when he felt a small boot come in contact with his shin, looking up to Regina giving him a glare, "Yeah...uh, maybe tonight you should try some tea before bed to help you sleep, Mom has a recipe..."

Ruth chuckled as she sat down, reaching out to pat Regina's hand in a gesture to let her know she was only teasing, "Either that, or I'll have to have some."

* * *

"Oh, come on, Regina," David held out his hands and trudged after her through the woods near his mother's home. She'd helped Ruth in the garden and treated her cordially, but had avoided him most of the day. "Why are you even pouting at me? I didn't do anything!" He huffed, seeing her keep stomping stubbornly.

"It's Your Majesty, to you," She hissed and threw a glare over her shoulder, "And don't roll your eyes at me! Just because I am behaving myself in front of your mother does not mean that I won't snap your neck like a twig!" She stopped, turning to face him as she crossed her arms.

He couldn't help but smirk, "You wouldn't..." He supposed he was being a little cocky after she almost admitted she loved him this morning, but it was all to humor her sour mood and get her to talk to him.

"How do you know that?!" She snapped, cocking her head to the side. Maybe now wasn't the type to press her, as she wasn't backing down in the slightest. Not that he would expect anything less.

"For the same reason you care about what my mother thinks of you," He raised an eyebrow as he looked down at her, reaching out to brush the tendril of hair from her face, chuckling when she swatted his hand away. "I didn't tell her anything, I swear. She just heard us..."

"Well you certainly didn't back me up any!" Her eyes widen incredulously as she threw her hands in the air, "I am the Queen of this realm, I don't have to explain myself to anyone! Yet I did it for the sheer sake of Ruth and then you don't even back my story up! You're really testing me, David. I was being courteous since you thought you 'saved' me from the villagers, but I have had it!"

"What do you mean 'saved' you? You were trying to end your life Regina," David frowned now, all playfulness gone, "Are you really going to throw that back in my face? Say that that was a mistake?" She'd successfully gotten under his skin now and he couldn't help but engage now. It seemed a silly thing for her to be so angry about, but he knew she was a private person, especially about a vulnerable moment like the one this morning. His mother knowing they were intimate seemed to tip her over the edge, letting other insecurities and anxieties come to the surface.

"I never asked you to save me!" She barked at him, lip snarling in the way that made her lip scar more permanent. There was a black glittering to her eyes now and he knew that the darkness inside of her was rearing it's head. She didn't think when she got this angry or upset, she merely acted. Years of emotional abuse at the hands of her mother had prevented her from learning to deal with her feelings in a healthy way. Emotions were weak things that made you look foolish, so she chose rage instead. "You think just because I didn't kill you like I normally do my prisoners that I have feelings for you? You were a toy! Nothing more! Yet you drag me here and make me play house with your mother like we'll all end up some happy family in the end of this?!"

"I'm not making you do anything! You like it here whether you will admit it or not! And you have feelings for me whether you like it or not!" He yelled back at her now, throwing his own hands up in aggravation. He hadn't pushed her this morning when she almost admitted her love to him. He'd proved his own feelings for her in any way he could. When would the rejection end? "I know you're struggling to believe that you could ever deserve a life like this, but you do! You always did, Regina. You deserve love and a family that cares about you! And I know you feel that with us, I know you want to let us in!"

Something in her eyes hit like a switch and she spat a bitter chuckle at him, "You're more delusional than I thought, Shepherd," She raked him with her best Evil Queen gaze, as if he weren't any more than the dirt beneath her boots, "Do you really believe I am happy here? Like I want anything to do with this pathetic way of life?! I am a Queen and a bit more refined than shacking up with some dimwitted farm boy and his foolish mother. I am not a woman you can make your wife and do nothing but breed and be happy with the bread crumbs you bring to the table-"

"Goddamnit Regina! Why can't you just let yourself be happy?!" He screamed at her now, her words bringing his anger to a boiling point. At first he thought it was all an act but now he started to question whether any of it was real. Had she simply been toying with his mind? Was she capable of this level of deception? "Enough with this Evil Queen bullshit! I want to speak to Regina! I know who you are deep down and I know I can make you happy, you're just scared!"

"Scared of what?!" She laughed with wide eyes, "Of dying poor and shriveled up on this farm with you? Like I would ever let that happen!" She shook her head quickly, looking at him with a hint of pity, "My, I really have done a number on you, you poor darling. It was fun for me while it lasted, but dear, I never meant to make you actually think you were worthy of me. Though, you and your mother have brought me back to health and for that I am grateful," She twisted her arm with a flick of her wrist and black smoke clouded around her. She was now dressed in a form fitting black leather corset and pants, feather cape and a fierce up-do.

"What are you doing?" David clenched his fists, gritting his teeth together as his emotions snuck up on him and his eyes glossed over despite how much he hated it. He was so angry with her for her desire to destroy anything good in her life. It was her own issues coming to the surface, he knew, but what else could he do? He'd given her space. He'd forgiven her terrible moods and temper. He'd been patient. Yet all of the progress they had made was about to go up in flames and she was striking the match.

"You didn't think I'd stay here forever did you?" She rolled her eyes, "As I was saying, you and your mother did nurse me back to health. I may now have the strength and power to take on all of the village idiots now that I'm fully restored," She ran her hands over her figure with a smirk, "I suppose I'll refrain from burning down your pitiful little home when I level the rest of them that betrayed me."

"Don't you fucking dare do this, Regina!" He stepped towards her, reaching for her wrists though their contact made purple magic spark from her and sting him. "Stop this! You're not going back to that life. Look at how far you've come. Why throw all of this away?"

Regina raised an eyebrow and glanced around theatrically, "All of what?" She smirked and it felt like a punch to his gut.

All he could do was stare back at her silently, chest heaving in anger and heartache. Her smirk never faded, her eyes glistening with evil as she lifted her wrist and in one sweeping motion disappeared into a cloud of purple smoke.


	10. Chapter 10

David swung the ax over his head, delivering another angry blow to the piece of wood on his chopping block, the split halves falling separately off of the sides. His shoulders were aching from how violently he brought down the blade but it was a welcomed pain that helped him keep his mind off of the one he couldn't control. The act was a welcomed distraction from her absence, a sliver of relief from the anger he held towards her for leaving him.

It had been days now and the pain wasn't fading in the slightest. He thought he knew what loss was before, when he'd lost Snow to the sleeping curse, but this was something else entirely. He knew Regina inside and out and as much as he missed her, he worried for her as well. She'd lost as much as she was lost herself. Where was she now? He couldn't even begin to know. He'd made his way back to the Royal Palace the night of the day she'd left, even after swearing he wouldn't follow her this time. It was empty, the place rummaged by villagers, her belongings strewn all over.

He'd taken to the bottle in order to sleep at night and ignore the empty space in the bed beside him where whiskey brown eyes used to look back at him. His mother fussed over him incessantly, but he could tell that it was simply a way to busy herself, for she was worried about Regina, too. One night after a few too many he'd spilled their story to her, explaining it the best he could, leaving out the details that Regina would want kept between them. She seemed to have a better understanding of the woman he was in love with, even tearing up at certain parts along with him.

Since that night they hadn't spoken of her and kept themselves busy. David worked himself ragged in the sun with back breaking labor, hoping to wear himself out enough that he'd fall into sleep when night fell. Yet he always felt restless until he'd had a nip of whiskey to relax him, being sure to keep it from his mother. She'd always strictly forbidden it and even though he was a grown man he would respect her enough to not blatantly drink in front of her. He'd witnessed too much at the hands of his alcoholic father to ever worry her with his increasing dependence on it.

"David," His mother's voice called out from the doorstep of the farm house, a hint of urgency in her tone, "We have visitors, it looks like the royal carriages."

He dropped the ax quickly on the ground, looking up as he wiped his face with the loose cotton shirt he wore as he looked up, squinting into the sunlight. His heart began to thud instantly at the thought of his Queen coming back to him as he took a few steps towards the dirt path the horse drawn carriage was traveling. Had she come to her senses? Was she coming back to him?

"Regina?" He swallowed hard at the knot forming in his throat, his steps becoming swifter as he crossed the yard.

Ruth couldn't hide the smile on her face and the way her eyes glossed over when he glanced at her. They both wanted Regina back so badly. "Go, go to her," His mother said through tears as she motioned him to meet the carriage and he took off in a sprint towards it.

The driver pulled the horses to a stop as David cleared the distance between he and the carriage, heart constricting with each step he took. She'd come back to him. Willingly. She'd chosen him over revenge and darkness. His foot met the step and he hoisted himself up in one swift motion, jerking the door open with gusto.

"David!" A voice called his name before arms wrapped around his neck and he nearly fell off the carriage, stumbling backwards with both of them until he steadied himself on the ground. His heart sank when he looked down and blue-green eyes stared up at him instead of brown.

"Snow?" His voice threatened to break with his reply as he stared at her in shock. He heard his mother gasp from her perch in the doorway when he took a step back from the woman they both thought was Regina.

"I've missed you so much," Snow reached up, cupping his cheek with a tearful gaze as she took him in, "I'm sorry I didn't come sooner, there was just so much to do when the dwarves told me what had happened in the kingdom-"

"How are you awake?" He cut her off, his mind swirling as he tried to process the fact she was standing in front of him. "How long have you been awake? Who woke you?"

"I don't know, it happened about a week ago one morning," She shook her head, eyes widening in confusion, "Grumpy said that a rainbow colored wave rippled across the realm and he heard me gasp for breath. He was guarding me, said that no one else was there."

David's heart felt like it was twisting in his chest. It happened the morning that Regina had almost told him she loved him after they shared true love's kiss. The sorceress who had enacted the Dark Curse out of hatred had broken it with her own capacity to love. He faded out for a moment, Snow's voice falling on deaf ears as he process the deep pain he felt over the loss of his Queen.

"...and they took me back to the Royal Palace...it was a mess. They wanted to destroy Regina," Snow shook her head, rambling on when he looked back up at her, "But we are gaining some semblance of order again. Everything has been fixed and I'm taking the throne," She nodded once, looking up at him with a confidence that seemed childish to him now.

"Have they uh...does anyone know where she is?" He managed to ask her when he felt his voice was stable enough, seeing her brows furrow together in confusion, "Regina..."

"David...why do you care where the Evil Queen is? She's gone," Snow frowned and took a step forward, reaching for his hands, "We can be married now and rule the kingdom as the rightful heirs to it. My father would be so proud of us."

His stomach soured at the mention of Leopold and he frowned before he could stop himself, biting down on his bottom lip, "We should...talk," He glanced towards the home, seeing his mother slipping back inside to give them some privacy.

"What is going on?" She shook her head, worry etching her features as she tilted her head to the side. "You don't even seem happy to see me. I was asleep for nearly a year, David."

"I know...and a lot has changed since then," He watched her apologetically though his own pain over Regina was so severe that he did not care about what Snow was about to feel, "Does anyone know where she is?" He asked again, more firmly this time.

"No," She frowned, lips parting in a telltale sign he hurt her feelings, "They're searching for her. The people are demanding she go on trial for her crimes against the kingdom. She will be found sooner or later."

"You'll never capture her, she's too powerful," He murmured mindlessly, seeing her frown deepen.

"That's where you're wrong. Rumpelstiltskin agreed to help us so that she can't hurt us ever again. She is a wanted woman now and we're going to find her," She swallowed hard as she spoke, obviously sensing the distance from him. "You better start explaining, David..."

"Regina and I...we...I got to know her during my time at her castle-"

"As her prisoner!" Snow squawked as her eyes nearly bulged out of her head.

"Not the entire time, things changed," He ran a hand through his hair and over the back of his neck as he glanced down towards the ground, "I got to know her, Snow. She's not evil like everyone says and her past it's...she's been through so much."

"She tried to give me a fate worse than death!" She shook her head adamantly, "She imprisoned you! She killed my father! And what has she done now? You hated her once...and now you talk as if you're in love with her..."

David lifted his head, pressing his lips together as he looked at Snow in silence. He wouldn't deny it to spare her feelings, it was the truth. A gasp escaped her as she stared back at him, slack jawed and color draining from her face. "David what has she done to you?! Did she put you under a spell?!"

"I'm not under a spell," He replied firmly, glancing out towards the field as he tried to figure out where to even begin. Or if he even should. Would Snow hear a word he had to say? "I want to be with her, but she won't let herself be happy...I can see that she wants to let go of the darkness she's been carrying for so long but she doesn't know how...it's why she ran away from here...I never meant to hurt you, Snow...It just happened and now I can't go back to the way things before."

"I see," Snow's jaw was clenched when he looked back at her, "You've made your choice then. But know when the time comes you'll be summoned by the court to testify against her for holding you captive and...whatever else she's done to you," Her eyes filled with disgust, "I'll send my men when the time comes."

* * *

Regina sat in the crude wooden chair in her cell, staring at the candle light flickering just a few feet away from her on the table. Anger burned inside of her, making it impossible for her to do anything but pace or brood. Rumple had helped Snow find her and the Blue Fairy had helped immobilize her. Snow had acted like she wanted to call a truce but it had only been a trap. Somehow they'd managed to tamper her magic, leaving her defenseless and caged like a wild animal.

Her trial and execution would most likely occur today, for there had been much hustle and bustle outside in the streets. The court yard of the Royal Palace had been converted into what almost looked like a stage. Funny how someone who considered themselves to be so moral could make such a show of a killing. She assumed that is what would happen to her after the pretend trial was over. She was guilty of her crimes and everyone knew it. What was the sense in denying anything now? This would be the end for her.

Snow hadn't come to speak with her since their encounter in the forest. Regina was still bewildered as to how she'd been woken up. It was part of the reason she'd been so caught off guard when presented with her former step-daughter. She'd expected the villagers to be on the lookout for her still, but she hadn't a clue that their beloved Princess had woken from her eternal sleep and was looking for her revenge. The people wanted justice for their precious Snow and the twit wanted to prove to them she could be queen. Alas, here she sat, awaiting death.

She stood from her chair, brushing the crude gray cotton dress they'd given her in a vain attempt to smooth out the wrinkles as she walked to the barred window. Her fingers wrapped around the cool iron, forehead pressing gently against it as she watched the activity outside. She knew she deserved to die, there wasn't an ounce of doubt in her mind about that. She'd taken countless lives in her pursuit for revenge. She'd committed atrocities that would earn her head on a pike when this day was over.

It wasn't the first time she had faced death. The promise of ending the pain and loss she'd come accustomed to had appealed to her more than once. There had been a certain peace and calm about the idea before that she lacked now. Her heart had changed since her attempt to take her own life. As much as she hated herself for it, she wanted to live. There was a yearning inside of her to simply find her shepherd and live in a cabin the rest of her days. But that was so typical of herself, wasn't it? Wanting things she didn't deserve. Things that would never happen.

She'd been that way since she was little. One of her oldest memories was Cora denying her dinner because she had spilled her cup of milk. She was four or five years old at the time, though her mother spared her no mercy. Any mistake she made, anytime she disobeyed Cora, something was taken from her to teach her a lesson. Food, books, riding time, her first love...She was taught from a young age that she would reap the consequences of her actions and she deserved nothing more.

Broad shoulders and sandy blonde hair brought her out of her own thoughts and she straightened immediately, squinting her eyes to get a better look. Her heart tightened when David came into view, walking down the courtyard, sword on his hip and fur on his shoulders. He was here. He was here and he hadn't come to see her.

A knot formed in her throat and her stomach lurched when she saw Snow White appear at the edge of the castle veranda. He approached her and words were spoken before they both stepped onto the veranda and out of view. Reality hit her like a boulder that David was here for Snow White. Had he been able to wake her, after all? Regina felt the couple bites of stew she'd had earlier threatening to repeat on her, turning quickly as she wretched into the bucket beside of her bed until her limbs trembled.

She fell down hard on the cot, pressing a hand to her stomach as her lungs fought for air. Her heart felt like it was being crushed in her chest and tears rolled down her face without her permission. A sob escaped her throat, though she knew she had no right to mourn him. She had no claim to him. He was Snow's fiancé before this mess and she had left him. She had rejected him and left him like he was nothing, like he hadn't given her more than anyone ever had before. Like she wasn't sickeningly in love with him.

"My girl," A gentle, familiar voice startled her from her thoughts. Her father's face came into view when she looked up, causing fresh tears to spill down her face instantly, "My girl, what have they done to you?"

"Father?" Her voice trembled as she instantly rose on shaky legs and approached the bars where he stood, "Is it really you?" She swallowed as she grasped the bars, coming face to face with the man she hadn't seen in over a year.

"I came as soon as I heard," His eyes were sad and he looked as if he'd aged twenty years since she'd seen him last. It made her stomach threaten to roll on her again, knowing she was the reason he looked so haggard, "They're putting you on trial soon. I'm only allowed a moment with you. Please, Regina, I'm begging you. It's not too late to ask for forgiveness, to change."

She smiled weakly and tilted her head to the side, blinking away the tears that blurred her vision, "I'm sorry, Father. You know they will not listen. They think me pure evil...they're not entirely wrong. Snow and her fiancé, they have the people on their side. This is the end for me."

Regina's heart felt like it was crumbling when a tear fell from her father's eyes, reaching out to cup the side of his face gently, "I'm so sorry, Daddy."

"I'm the one who is sorry, my girl," His voice was raspy and wobbling, his eyes blinking rapidly as he took her free hand in his, "I should've been braver for you. I should've been stronger. I'm sorry I didn't protect you. Please, please forgive me."

She smiled through tears, her own voice wavering, "There's nothing to forgive. You were always by my side. You did the best that you could."

"I love you," He cried openly now, pressing his forehead to hers in the small space between the bars. They both heard the soldiers coming up the tower stairs, armor clanging off of stone, but they held onto each other tightly, for they knew it was the last time they ever could.

"I love you, Daddy."

* * *

David shifted nervously where he stood on the sidelines of the courtyard, watching the guards escort Regina out. She looked so small in between the two large men, entirely defenseless to their rough grip. They had a hood over her head that they didn't remove until they had her in the center of the courtyard and tied her to a post like an animal. Anger bubbled within him at the way they handled her, mixing with his heartache, leaving him a mess.

His heart felt like it was being ripped from his chest when they removed the hood and he saw her face again. She was void of any makeup, her long hair pulled back in a simple pony tail. She tilted her chin up, giving a wicked smile when the crowd roared and booed her. He could tell she was scared, despite the fact that she appeared proud and defiant. She was too proud to give these people the fear that they wanted to see.

He felt eyes on him when he glanced over to where Snow sat in her chair not far from him, seeing that she was watching for his reaction. She'd sent her men for him like she said she would, forcing him back to the Royal Palace to give his account of the Queen's crimes against them. It was low for Snow White, trying to get him to testify against the woman he loved simply because she was angry with him. It bewildered him how he ever thought her ready for a relationship or marriage before when she was clearly still so immature.

_"Kill the witch!"_

_"Burn her!"_

The crowd jeered and became rowdy, circling around Regina with angry eyes as the mob mentality heightened. David felt the pull to defend her, to march up and untie her and beg for her life. But she didn't want him. She'd made it abundantly clear. Besides, she had too much pride to let him fight her fight for her. If he were going to defend her, he had to do it strategically.

"Regina Mills, how do you plead for charges of mass murder and crimes against the royal family?" One of the councilmen approached her, the crowd hushing in order to hear the proceedings. It was all a joke, this make believe trial. Though with David's account he may be able to gain her jail time instead of death.

He watched her turn her head to face the man, a slight sneer adorning lips that had once smiled so sweetly at him, "Guilty."

The crowd roared again, yelling crude remarks and delighting in the idea of watching the woman he loved be gruesomely murdered. His heart lurched and he stepped forward immediately, seeing that the mob along with the joke of a council seemed content with her confession. He hadn't even had a chance to speak in her defense yet and it sent him into a state of panic.

"You heard the witch! She's guilty!" Grumpy growled from his position beside the Queen who still sat silently in her chair, seeming to not know what to do about the situation that had escalated into much more than she had anticipated.

"You are aware that the sentence for committing murder is an arrow to the heart?" The councilman questioned and Regina remained stoic, looking as if she were bored of the situation.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" She smirked and scanned the crowd, egging them on. Her eyes stopped and expression changed instantly when her gaze met David's. He forcefully pushed past the guards that kept a perimeter around her to prevent the crowd from rushing in on her, putting himself between her and everyone else.

"Wait!" He yelled, seeing a few of them with their bows and arrows at the ready in preparation for the sentencing, "You call this a trial?" He shook his head angrily, glancing between Regina and Snow. "This is cold blooded murder!"

_"It's what she deserves!"_

David glared at the crowd then, "How does anyone who doesn't know her think they're wise on what she deserves?! Did you ever think to yourselves that there may be a reason she's done what she has?"

"David, that's enough," Regina snapped from her post, quickly losing her cool, "Sit down and stay out of this," She glared at him and he saw the protectiveness in her expression and he knew she was simply trying to keep him safe.

"I'm not going to stand by while you're executed for your crimes and let the people who pushed you to commit them not brought to the light!" He growled and she instantly quieted, prompting him to turn back to the others, "Does anyone here know how old the girl was that Leopold made his Queen?" He questioned, scanning the faces that had quieted considerably, "Anyone?!"

"Barely seventeen years old!" David paced around the courtyard in front of Regina like a lion protecting it's own, "Your King took a child bride against her will," He wanted to share the details, wanted the people to know the horrors she had experienced, but it would only hurt Regina more, so he brought up the atrocities that the people turned a blind eye to. "She lost two people she loved deeply because she was forced to be Queen to a man who held her captive in her own home. Who invaded her privacy. A man old enough to be her father! A man who you all revere but was violent and vile behind closed doors."

"David!" Snow gasped, standing from her seat abruptly.

"I'm sorry, but you know it's the truth," He replied firmly, knowing that Snow was aware the relationship between her father and Regina was not a happy one, "Your father was not the man the people think he is. Just like Regina is not the woman you all think she is. She deserves a second chance at life she chooses," He glanced back at the brunette, seeing her divert her eyes from his.

"She held you captive and you're defending her?!" Grumpy piped in, eliciting various words of agreement from the buzzing crowd, "She's put a spell on him!" He declared after a few seconds, making the citizens erupt in hysteria.

Guards grabbed David by the arms, jerking him back from the center as he fought and kicked to get out of their grip. The villagers jeered and yelled, beginning to chant for Regina's death. Regina herself seemed far away from the present, her eyes deflected and her face void of any expression. Chaos ensued as the guards had to hold people back when the crowd tried to close in on her. The councilmen turned to Snow who merely stood with a strained expression, the situation having gone further than she probably imagined it would. Confusion swirled among the guards, some holding David back, others holding the crowd at bay and some lifting their weapons towards the culprit of the madness that remained silent and tied to the post.

"Enough!" Snow screamed loudly, "Enough! Silence!" She yelled and people slowly came to a halt, eyes turning to her for guidance.

"Regina will not be executed," She stated plainly, glancing at her former step-mother with a regret filled expression, "To pay for your sins you will be banished from the kingdom and if you ever try to hurt us again, you will die."

Regina stared at the Snow in utter disbelief and David felt like his heart had stopped and begun beating again. Relief flooded him as he watched the two women simply stare at one another, years worth of unspoken grief and heartache being exchanged in one expression. The crowd was silent, not daring go against the word of their new beloved Queen. The silence was broken however by a gruff voice beside of him as a man in full armor spoke up, bow and arrow pulled tight and aimed for the sorceress.

"She killed my family in the village raids," He said as he drew his bow back, "Banishment is not enough!"

"Stop!" Snow yelled at her knight but the man refused to listen. Regina held her head high, facing her death straight on with as much dignity as she could muster, the creak of the bow the only sound in the courtyard.

David managed to pull his arms from the slackened grip of the guards who had become too engrossed in what was happening to stop him. He heard shouting but all he could focus on was stopping the knight from sending an arrow piercing through the heart of the woman he loved. As the knight's fingers let the bow contract he lunged in the path between the man and Regina just in time to feel it's metal point pierce his own chest. His limbs went limp and he stumbled and fell, landing with a thud just a few feet from the woman he was protecting.

Pain pierced him, taking his breath away as he rolled onto his back, black spots coming into his vision. He heard a strangled scream as he blinked rapidly, turning his head just in time to see Regina leaning forward as far as she could, straining her arms against the ropes that held her back as she sobbed and screamed for him. His mind started to fail him though, the blackness clouding more and more of his vision as it became heavier to breathe.

"Let me loose to heal him!" Regina pleaded tearfully up at Snow who stood pale faced, "Please! Please I'm begging you!"

"Even if we let you loose you can't heal him here," Snow shook her head, tears welling in her eyes as she rushed to bend down to him, "Rumple's magic it...you can't hurt us or help us in this kingdom, your magic-" She swallowed hard and looked up at her, "Won't work at all here."

"No," Regina sobbed and fell down onto her knees in the dirt, "Let me take him to my Dark Castle...it's outside of the kingdom, it could work. Let me take him and heal him, please Snow," She pleaded, looking her in the eyes and putting all of her own pride aside, "Then you can have him back. I won't interfere I just can't watch him die. Please let me do something!"

Snow watched her contemplatively for a moment before nodding once, swallowing hard, "Bring me my horse and carriage. Now!"

* * *

"No no no, stay with me," Her former step mother cradled the shepherds head in her lap in the cramped carriage, having insisted they practically lay him on her in the seat, refusing to let go of him. Regina had snarled protectively at the knights who had helped put David in, snapping at them to be careful.

Snow didn't think she'd ever seen Regina as distraught as she was now, sitting in the seat opposite them watching the former Queen covered in her ex-fiancés blood. She rambled through tears, threatening him to stay alive as she kept one arm wrapped around his torso and her other hand cradling his head, her small frame trying to take the bumpy blows of the carriage ride for him.

Her own stomach swirled as she watched the older woman and she almost felt guilty. Had she ever loved David in that way? She was upset, she cared for him, but it wasn't ripping her heart in half like it seemed to be Regina's.

Was it the sense of betrayal she felt over David falling for the woman who was trying to make their lives hell? Or had she simply not been as in love with him as she once thought? Her insides churned and she shook her head, biting back tears at the mess she'd created. She should've ceased the hunt for Regina and called it even.

The crown had been placed on her head by the people practically as soon as she'd woken from her sleeping curse. She'd never had any hand in ruling before, her father had taken care of everything to let her remain young and carefree. Regina had taken over once Leopold was gone, giving her no real experience. Everyone had loved and cherished her her entire life, she hadn't known how to go against what the people wanted. And they had wanted revenge on the Evil Queen.

"Stop the carriage," Regina looked up suddenly before glancing back down at her left hand, opening and closing it as if it was tingling.

"What?" She questioned, perplexed by the request before she saw the purple glow of Regina's magic come back to her. They had crossed the kingdom line, into the Black Forest where Regina's magic could work again. Her eyes widened and she quickly reached up to yank the lever beside her seat, ringing the bell for the driver to stop.

"I'm going to transport us to the castle and heal him but I only have enough magic for two of us, I have to reserve it," Regina explained quickly as she looked up with panicked, red rimmed eyes, "I'll heal him and let him go. You have my word. But I have to take him. Now," She nodded before the two of them dissolved behind a purple cloud of smoke.

* * *

"Regina!" Ruth gasped when she found herself in a grand, dark bed chamber as purple smoke dissipated around her. One moment she had been in her small farmhouse and the next she'd appeared here where there was obviously something very wrong. She rushed towards the couple, noticing the Queen was in distress as she ripped at her son's blood stained cotton.

"Ruth," Regina looked up in some relief at the fact her summoning spell had worked, knowing she'd need the help, "Please help we have to get his shirt off of him."

"Oh my god," Ruth clutched her stomach when she stepped up to the bed, "What happened to my boy?!" She asked before hurriedly helping Regina pull the cotton linen open down his chest.

"He stepped in front of a guards arrow meant for me," She replied without looking Ruth in the eyes, her voice wavering. She couldn't meet his mothers gaze, not after the way she left things. Not when this was her fault.

"We must get the arrow from his chest," Regina swallowed hard, meeting the older woman's gaze finally. Ruth could see the tears the girl tried to keep at bay, the way her hands were shaking and her clothes were stained with blood. "I'm going to keep him alive, I promise you...but I...I can't guarantee that I'll...what I mean is as soon as I remove the arrow I must begin healing before he bleeds out and...just focus on him, all right?" She looked to her more firmly for an agreement, an unspoken understanding exchanging between them that Regina was taking a chance with her own life.

"Ready?" Her heart pounded in her ears as she looked down at the man she loved, gripping the wood of the arrow at the base of the wood and beginning to slowly pull, "Press your hands near the opening and apply pressure," She instructed his mother, willing herself to keep it together. She wasn't going to let him die, not even if it took every ounce of magic and energy she had within her.

Ruth watched as the Evil Queen slowly pulled the arrow from her son's chest, gasping when the blood started to bubble. She removed her hands from the wound when Regina's own glowed purple and quickly covered it. She watched in awe of the sorceress as a strong channel of purple light glowed from her hands, directly into her son. Ruth's eyes stayed glued on his face, clasping his hand in hers tightly as her own heart seemed to stop and she prayed this would work.

She gave a sharp intake of breath when she saw the pale color of his face begin to change, his color slowly coming back, lips changing from light blue to pale pink, "Oh Regina, it's working!" She cried in relief, watching her son's chest begin to rise and fall more visibly than before. The angry wound mended under the Evil Queen's glowing hands and her son healed before her eyes.

"He'll need his sleep for-" Regina swallowed hard, her eyes looking tired and her own complexion grey and worrisome. Ruth had to suppress a gasp when she looked up at the small Queen who swayed a little on her feet, dark circles under her eyes and no sign of the purple glow that had just come from her hands. "...A, a while if you...just..." She swayed forward and pressed her hands against the side of the bed to keep herself from falling.

"Regina?" Ruth quickly rounded the foot of the bed, coming up beside her as she saw her struggle to keep her consciousness. Healing him had taken so much out of her that she suddenly looked frail and weak, like she had when she'd first met her, "Lay down, child. Lay down, I'll keep an eye on him."

She urged the Queen to crawl into bed beside her son after she gave a small nod, her eyes closed with exhaustion already. Regina practically collapsed beside David, already asleep as Ruth helped adjust her legs on the bed, bringing a blanket up over them. She couldn't miss how Regina's hand landed on David's chest, despite not even having her eyes open. Her head was turned to the right towards him, as if she attempted to keep an eye on him, even in her own sleep. The young woman had never shown her feelings for David in front of her, but she had no doubt now that the girl was helplessly in love with her son.

* * *

Regina grimaced before she even opened her eyes at the steady ache in her head. Her eyes felt dry as she opened them, blinking a couple of times before they focused in. A peaceful profile came into her view, perfectly sloped nose and full lips, pronounced chin and stubbly, hard jawline. His eyes were still closed but his color was back to normal and his chest rose and fell in steady, deep breaths. Emotions betrayed her and her eyes prickled with tears of relief that he was going to live. She knew for certain she wouldn't have survived witnessing another man she loved die in her arms.

She swallowed a groan at how sore her body was as she lifted onto her side, propping herself up with her elbow. Healing him had taken every ounce of energy and magic she'd had, leaving her feeling like she'd fallen off of a galloping horse. She pushed the sheet covering them down gingerly, exposing his chest where the wound had been. Only a pink scar remained where the arrow had pierced him and she let out a breath of relief, circling it gently with her index finger.

He still slept soundly and it was probably for the best. Part of her wanted to wake him and profess her love for him and the other part of her wanted him to sleep for days, just so he would be here. His presence calmed her, warmed her in a way that no one else's could. It felt like a punch to the gut to know that he was not hers. That he could've been if only she hadn't been so stubborn and scared.

David was Snow's fiancé. They had clearly worked things out, seeing as he'd been at the royal palace with her former step-daughter before her own trial. He'd only stood up for her in the courtyard because he was a good person, a moral and soft-hearted man who had simply become confused during their time together. She would honor her word to Snow and return him to his rightful home when he was fully recovered, but for now she'd selfishly soak in his presence for as long as she could.

"You're awake," Ruth's soft voice caused her to tilt her head up, seeing the older woman slipping into the bedroom with a tray of refreshments, "You were stirring, so I prepared some nourishment in hopes that you'd be awake soon."

She removed her hand from David's chest respectively, smiling tiredly at the kindness of the other woman despite how she'd deserted them. However slowly, she managed to push herself into a sitting position, Ruth quickly setting the tray down on the small table before coming to help her His mother's arm came around her waist, pulling her to her for support as she stood on wobbling legs.

"Can you walk, sweetheart?" Ruth asked gently and it threatened to make Regina cry, as idiotic as it was. No-one had ever been maternal towards her or treated her so caringly in years. On the odd chance she'd taken ill during her childhood her father had cared for her while her mother told her to toughen up. During her reign as Leopold's wife, she'd been quarantined and cared for my servants who were cold towards her, the kingdom unforgiving of the fact she'd never managed to give the King a son.

"I'll be fine," She nodded quietly, avoiding eye contact with the gentle woman as she walked with her to sit at the table, "Thank you. You didn't have to do all of this," She murmured when she managed to sit down, the walk from the bed to there feeling like it took everything out of her.

"You saved my son's life," Ruth frowned and shook her head, coming to the table to pour Regina a cup of hot tea, "Don't be silly, dear."

"It's because of me he almost lost his life," She replied and glanced up at her with the same furrowed brow, her voice wavering despite how hard she tried to keep it from doing so. "I deserve no reward for fixing something I caused."

She felt Ruth's eyes on her as the woman set the cup of tea on the table in front of her, though she couldn't meet her gaze. Her exhaustion and lack of magic had her feeling powerless and vulnerable under the woman's stare, as if she could see right through her.

"I've heard stories about you, sweetheart," Ruth began, taking a seat across from her as she poured herself her own mug of tea, "Of your ruthless acts, of your cold heart and cruelty. How you fear nothing and no-one and you're incapable of feeling...but the _Evil Queen_ I have witnessed is much different. She blushes when she is teased, she is gentle to those she cares for, she has a quick wit and a beautiful laugh when she lets herself...Her hands tremble with fear and she sacrifices anything to save the man she loves..."

Regina's gaze darted up at David's mother at the mention of her loving him. She felt suddenly skittish, shifting in her chair uncomfortably, "I never said-"

"You didn't have to," Ruth's head tilted to the side slowly as she studied the Queen, "That's not your first time being threatened with losing the one you love, is it child?"

Tears sprang to Regina's eyes instantly. Just the soothing tone of Ruth's voice was enough to make her emotional with how drained she was. She had been holding everything in for so long, dealing with her emotions privately. The urge to share her story, to have a confidant, was too great to ignore. Her walls were crumbling and she didn't have the strength to keep them up. She was _tired._

"My first love he..." She swallowed the knot that formed in her throat as she stared down at the cup of tea, "He was killed because of me...because he loved me. Our child was lost because of me."

"Oh dear," Ruth leaned in, her warm hand covering Regina's that trembled on the table top, "How did it happen?"

"My mother promised me to the King," She smiled bitterly, staring into space, "She wanted me to marry into money and power, but I wanted to marry our stable-boy," Her smile lost the bitter hint at the mention of Daniel, "When she found out we had planned to elope, she took his heart and crushed it."

Ruth watched her in a stunned silence as she processed Regina's words, understanding the woman all too well now, "In front of you?" She frowned, brows furrowing and heart aching for the young woman.

"He died in my arms," Regina bit down on her bottom lip quickly when her voice wobbled, focusing on the porcelain cup and avoiding eye contact, "Our child did, too. I wasn't able to carry him long enough, I wasn't strong enough to do it alone. He was just an innocent..."

"An innocent like the young girl who lost much," Ruth squeezed her hand, making Regina meet her gaze, "She's still in there, sweet one. Everyone deserves a second chance."

"I've done terrible things..." She took a shaky breath, a tear escaping her dark lashes and sliding down her cheek, "Things you cannot begin to imagine. Even if I made it all right, I can never undo it. I don't deserve love or happiness. I willingly gave that up to get my revenge on those who wronged me. I accept my fate," Her eyes glanced towards David sleeping in the bed.

Ruth saw the heartache in the young woman's expression and knew she was struggling with the fact she felt unworthy of him, "Oh, child.." She let out a breath, "I wish you could see yourself the way I do...the way my son does...I don't know your full story but I hope you'll tell it to me someday. What I do know is that life seems to have given you plenty of reasons to lose your way...but now you have a chance to find it again."

Regina swallowed hard at the knot in her throat, lip trembling as she looked down towards her lap, "I can't do that to him," She let out a breath, "He's better off without me."

"And how do you know that?" The older woman questioned with familiar blue eyes studying her.

"He is better off with Snow," She sighed, tilting her head back and taking a deep breath before gazing back at her, a weak smile on her face, "She can provide him a kingdom full of people who will love him and see them as their hero. She can provide him children and a home. A fresh start without baggage."

"And what about the love you have for him?" Ruth replied softly, "Because, my dear, kingdoms and grandchildren are lovely...but I would rather him be with someone who loves him like you do."

* * *

David woke to a familiar warmth of a small body curled into his torso and smooth legs intertwined with his. Upon opening his eyes he saw messy black curls, her head tucked into his shoulder. Her arm was draped over him, holding herself closely against him in her sleep. He blinked a few times, glancing around to his surroundings, the place looking foreign to him, but the woman cuddling against his body felt anything but.

The last thing he remembered was the piercing of his chest and the blood curdling scream that came out of her when he took the arrow and fell to the ground. His heart warmed with the realization that she must've broken free or convinced Snow to let her heal him and taken him to wherever this was. He reached up, muscles stiff from not moving in how long, rubbing the spot on his chest to feel he had no wound. He felt no pain either, simply well rested. Stiff, but well rested.

"Hmm," Regina murmured in her sleep, stirring slightly from his movement as she uncurled her body in a cat like stretch before opening her eyes. He smiled at her as she focused in on his face, whiskey brown eyes turning wide with surprise at the fact his own were opened, "David!" She exclaimed, voice still low and husky from her sleep.

"Hey," He replied quietly, managing to roll onto his side to face her, "Are you okay?" He asked as he reached a hand up to brush her hair back from her face while she stared up at him as if she were taking in his features for the very first time.

"I'm fine, how do you feel?" She asked quickly, studying his expression. He'd never seen her hair like this, looking like it had been washed and dried naturally. It was surprisingly curlier than he expected but it was beautiful. Her face was void of any makeup, her lip scar much more visible than she usually let it be.

"I'm good, really," He reassured her at the worried crease of her brow, giving her a gentle smile. She had become so precious to him, everything about her made him feel the warmth in his heart, made him want to hold her. His arm snaked around her waist, pulling her up against him gently, "What happened? How did we end up here?"

"Snow let them untie me so that I could heal you," She replied, taking a deep breath. He saw anxiety rise in her expression at the mere mention of his ex, but he stayed quiet, seeing Regina was going to continue. "But because Rumple helped her prevent my magic from working in the kingdom, she let me bring you outside of the perimeter so that I could make you better."

"Thank you," David replied seriously, leaning in to press a kiss to her forehead, "Where are we?" He asked when he pulled back.

"The Dark Forest," She smiled weakly as if she was ashamed to admit where she'd brought him. The Dark Forest was where the outcasts were sent, where the most wicked civilians and beasts did their evil deeds. The Kingdom always kept strict perimeter around the borders, not allowing any immigration between the two regions. "I built a castle here when I started my Revenge on Snow...It was a place to get away, to work on my magic and prepare for what I was doing. It was safer here, no distractions."

"It doesn't seem so bad," He replied with a playful smile, seeing the corners of her mouth turn up sheepishly. "I've missed that smile," He added more seriously, studying her eyes as he massaged her back with his hand, dipping into the curve of her lower back soothingly.

She seemed to process an array of emotions, a distant look appearing in her expressive eyes. "When you feel up to it I have a carriage and a team prepared to transport you safely back to Snow and the kingdom. My magic isn't completely back in full yet and I do not want to risk trying to transport you there with it-"

"You want me to leave?" He cut her off, his stomach sinking. She clenched her jaw and avoided his gaze, her finger mindlessly tracing his chest as he waited for a response.

"Snow is waiting for you, I promised I'd get you back to her," Regina spoke quietly, "I know you're probably eager to return as well, for your life together ruling has just begun. The wedding, will it be soon?" She looked up at him then and he could tell she was straining to give him a pleasant, inquisitive expression.

"Wedding?" He frowned in confusion at her, "Regina I'm not marrying Snow."

"But..." Her eyes flickered back at him, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth for a moment, "You were together...at the castle...for my trial and-"

"Because she summoned me to testify against you and I went to testify for you," He replied seriously, tilting her chin up with his fingers so she'd meet his gaze steadily, "That is all. I told her what happened between us when she came to me shortly after you left and I had nothing to do with her since..."

"But you..." Regina's protest fell flat on her lips and she blinked rapidly a few times, "You broke her curse, didn't you? After I left? You found her and it worked?"

"You really don't get it, do you?" David studied her for a moment in disbelief. He shuddered at the thought of what this woman had went through in her young life to be so disbelieving that anyone could truly choose her and love her. That she was worthy and deserving of happiness. "Regina, I did nothing of the sort. I actually went on a hunt for you, to the castle, through the forests...I decided you did not want me to find you and I was trying to accept it. I continued working on my mother's land to keep myself busy...I wondered myself how the curse was broken when Snow appeared..."

"Someone must've made an anecdote," Regina pushed herself up on her elbows, sliding into a sitting position in a sort of panic, "Who would be that powerful? even Rumple couldn't break that magic-"

"Regina..." David reached for her arm as she rambled before repeating slightly louder, "Regina. It was us."

"What?" She turned her head towards him suddenly, confusion marring her pretty features.

"The only magic that can break curses like that...you said only true love could," He watched her carefully, reaching for her small hand to try to calm her. "Snow came to me after you had left...when I asked her how, she said that it happened on a morning, with no one around her when she woke, besides Grumpy who was standing guard. I added it up, and it was the morning of the day you left..."

Regina swallowed hard as she stared down at him in disbelief, letting him hold her hand tightly, "That can't be-"

"It is," He cut her off again, looking her in the eyes, "The morning when you almost told me you loved me. That kiss...it's what broke the curse."

"What does this mean?" Her voice was wavering and tears welled in her eyes, threatening to spill past her lashes and down her cheeks.

"It means I am not going anywhere," David replied adamantly, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand gently, "And if you try to run from me again I'll only follow you. Because wherever you are, that's where I'm meant to be," He watched her take a deep breath and her lips part as if she were going to argue, "Don't even try it, Regina Mills. If you want rid of me you're going to have to do it yourself because I'm not going willingly."

A tear slipped from her cheek then and she licked her lips, sucking the bottom one in her teeth as she appeared to try to gather herself, "You say that now, but-"

"I say that now, but nothing," He shook his head, sitting up himself to face her as they sat in the large bed, "You're it for me. I know you probably envisioned someone with much more to offer than a former shepherd," He chuckled and she smiled through her tears, making his heart thump faster, "But you're just going to have to deal with me, okay?"

"I..." She cleared her throat, glancing down at their hands before back at him, "I guess I'll find a way to put up with you," She managed to get out, her voice crackling a little with emotion, making him grin widely at the way she deflected her emotions with humor.

He reached up to cup her chin, smiling at her as she glanced down at his lips. They met in a soft kiss, more meaningful than any they'd had before. She'd let her wall down and accepted him into her life. He knew she'd always have her quirks but she wasn't fighting him anymore. It made his heart threaten to burst with happiness that he could finally call her his own. He couldn't imagine the moment to get any better as he pressed his forehead to hers and they closed their eyes, but then he heard her soft voice speak up again.

"I love you, too."

* * *

**Epilogue**

_**6 years later...** _

"You looked beautiful tonight," David groaned into her mouth as his hands gripped her thighs under the sparkling black down she'd worn, helping her move where she straddled his lap in the back of the carriage. Regina grinned against his lips, her hands curled over the seat behind him as she moved harder. She ground her hips on his in a familiar rhythm, moaning quietly when she pressed their foreheads together.

They were on their way back from a ball held in her honor in the newly founded town square of the Dark Forest. In the past five years after they had settled into their home at the Dark Palace, Regina had been inspired to make changes in the forest that was once deemed a lost cause. He knew it was a way for her to redeem herself and work through her past, which made him even more supportive of it.

She'd started by implementing an education system that had not only benefited the children, but also a technical school where adults could learn or hone a trade. From that she grew a healthcare system where forest dwellers could seek rehabilitation for the demons that had them outcast here in the first place. Slowly the dynamic had shifted as people's lives improved and it was no longer the dark, dangerous place that it had been for centuries. The people rallied behind their new leader, deeming Regina and David the King and Queen of the Dark Forest. It suited her better than any role she'd had prior, mainly because she'd chosen to lead this time and she was able to do so as herself.

Her followers knew she had once been the Evil Queen and by her own life's example she gave them hope for change and improvement. David had never seen a leader like Regina. It was rare that a Queen had ever experienced true hardship or darkness in the way she had. It was why the people responded to her so loyally. She had been evil. She had lived it. She understood them and did not judge. She simply gave them the tools to change and the opportunity that other kingdoms never did.

Their relationship with Snow White was a cordial one but not a close one. Snow had come to respect Regina and David's relationship after seeing the love they shared. She'd found her own happiness with a knight named Lancelot and seemed to be genuinely happy. After a few years of the evolving reputation of the Dark Forest, she had agreed to Regina's proposal of creating a trade system between their kingdoms and their natural resources. Before long Snow had renounced the guarded perimeter between their kingdoms and the citizens were able to travel freely between the two.

Just as Regina had destroyed countless lives during her reign as the Evil Queen, she had improved just as many or more lives as the Queen of the Dark Forest. The work had healed her in a way that nothing else could and helped let go of her past. For the first time she seemed to have a genuine confidence in herself and what she was capable of. Her past transgressions would always be carried somewhere inside of her, but she could accept her faults now in a healthy way that allowed her to still have a future.

"Don't say it-" Regina warned between labored breaths with a smirk, making quick eye contact at her husband who mirrored her grin.

"I told you so," He chuckled breathlessly, dipping his head to kiss over her neck in the way he knew she adored, "The people love you. You've changed lives for the better here. I'm proud of you."

"I didn't do it all by myself," Regina ran her fingers through his hair and moaned through closed lips, rocking her hips harder, feeling him deeper. He was so supportive her and every decision she made, willing to standby and let her accept the credit without feeling resentment. Not many men would be able to take that role securely, but he did it without question. "I wouldn't have any of this without you."

"I don't know about that," His hands gripped her ass, pushing his own hips harder. She was so wet and warm and smelled so delicious that he hadn't been able to restrain himself once they'd gotten in the carriage to go home. Six years of marriage and they'd yet to lose the want for each other. He knew he never would get enough. "But I'm happy to of helped."

"I'm close," She gave a breathy little gasp in his ear, gripping the back of his head with both hands threaded through his hair, "Don't stop," She pleaded and he groaned at the way her words came out a needy little whimper.

"That's good because we're close," He grinned as the carriage bumped along the stony path up to the Dark Palace gates. "Cum for me, Regina," He murmured into her neck, rutting his hips up into her, making her take more of his length. The vibration from the carriage only made it that much more pleasing and the way she whined as she approached her release made him throb.

"David," She gasped before letting a loud moan escape her throat as she clutched his neck and head to her chest when her body tensed, hips straining into his firmly as her walls clamped down on him.

" _Mmmm_ ," He groaned himself as she gripped his cock, milking his own orgasm from him. Their movements slowed as her head dipped to press their foreheads together, riding out the waves of their orgasms until they had passed. "We're here, darling," He murmured with a chuckle, reaching underneath her to begin pulling her gown down as she scrambled to the seat beside of him when the carriage came to a rocking halt.

She glanced over at him with a grin as she lifted her hips from the seat and shimmied her dress down her legs before attempting to tuck the wispy hairs that had fallen from her up-do back into place. Six years, and they still scrambled like teenagers to not be caught fondling or fucking in random places. He returned her mischievous smirk as he put himself back in his trousers, making it just in time before the driver opened their carriage door.

"Let's go to bed," He smiled after he stepped down the carriage steps and held his hand out for her to help her down. She leaned into him and he wrapped his arm around her as they made their way up the steps to the door of the palace. It wasn't the wild nights that they used to have together in the beginning. They didn't fight nearly as much or have wild sex on random surfaces of the castle, but they were happy. Besides, they found moments of privacy for what they needed.

"Hmm, maybe a hot bath first?" Regina suggested, giving a smile to the guards as they opened the doors for them.

David nodded as they stepped over the threshold into the Dark Palace that was still Gothic in design but now much warmer and full of life, "That sounds-"

"Mommy! Daddy!" Two small voices chirped, followed by the sound of quick footsteps coming down the grand staircase.

"Isn't it past your bedtime?" Regina laughed as the twins bounced down the stairs and ran to she and David, jumping into their arms. Violet leaped into David's embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck as her dark brown curls bounced and her blue eyes lit up with joy at the sight of her daddy.

"Yes, but we missed you!" Henry's toothy grin made David laugh when he cupped his mother's face and spoke animatedly. They were nearing six years old and were much too big for Regina's small frame to hold comfortably, but she still held him in her arms and smiled like a fool at her son. He looked more like Regina with almost black hair and dark features, unlike his sister who was the perfect mixture of them both. Though despite their differences, they both had inherited their father's blue eyes.

"Children?" Her son's namesake came into view at the top of the stairs, out of breath from trying to track them down, "I'm sorry Dear," Her father huffed as he made his way down the steps to them, "They refused to go to sleep. Much too wound up to find out how the ball went."

"It was lovely," Regina nodded with a smile, running her hand over her boy's hair as he rested his tired head against her shoulder. "Don't worry, Father. Go back to bed."

"Are you sure?" He questioned and raised an eyebrow at the young parents.

David gave his daughter a squeeze, making her giggle before he looked up at his wife's father, "Of course. We'll handle these two."

"What about this one?" Ruth smiled as she came down the corridor from her wing of the castle with their youngest in tow.

"Ma-ma-ma!" Elena began to chirp, chubby little arms out immediately at the sight of her mother, "Da!" She giggled a little when she saw her father as well, making the group of them chuckle at the always happy baby.

"Come here my boy," David smiled, reaching out to take Henry from Regina's arms to accommodate their impatient little nine month old.

Regina smiled warmly as her youngest practically dove for her, light brown ringlets accentuating sleepy whiskey eyes. The baby couldn't seem to go to sleep for anyone but she or her father, but Regina couldn't find it within herself to mind, "Hello, sweetheart," She cooed and cuddled the child into her chest, inhaling the scent of her.

"Mommy, can we play with the stars tonight?" Violet asked eagerly from her father's hip.

"Yeah, Mommy, can we please?!" Her brother seconded, referencing the game Regina procured with magic that allowed the children to see the night sky on the ceiling of their bed chamber. It was something they had started when the twins couldn't sleep due to the storms outside, helping them see that it was nothing to be feared as they watched thunder and lightning and found constellations. Baby Elena especially loved it, giggling at every shooting star that caught her eye.

Regina and David exchanged a warm smile, knowing neither of them minded the interruption to their plans. There would always be the bath chamber once the children were asleep or a quiet corridor in the morning before they were awake. As silly as it was to be gone for such a short time, they missed their children when they were away. Neither of them had expected to have this and it was never something they took for granted.

Ruth and Henry Senior both observed the young couple and their grandchildren, exchanging a smile between each other before slipping back to their respective corridors. It was clear that they were no longer needed and it pleased them both to see their children have such a tight knit family of their own.

"Yeah, Mommy, can we?" David echoed the children he held with a playful grin at her.

"What do you think darling?" Regina looked down to the sleepy baby in her arms, chuckling when Elena cooed and gave a grin, "I think we have our answer."

"Let's go to bed," Her husband stated for the second time that night but with a much different intent this time around, giving her a quick wink and a smile to acknowledge it. With that the man that had come into her life during her darkest times proceeded for the stairs, carrying the love they made in both of his arms. She pressed her lips to her daughter's hair in a gentle kiss as she marveled for a moment at what her life had become.

"Are you coming, Mommy?" Violet smiled over her father's shoulder, causing David to stop and turn on one of the steps. The three of them looked at her expectantly and her heart threatened to burst. It had been such a long journey to get here, but she was finally happy.


End file.
